The Lord an Abundant Helper.
146 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord while I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 Do not trust in princes,
In [c]mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.
4 His spirit departs, he returns to [d]the earth;
In that very day his thoughts perish.
5 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 Who made heaven and earth,
The sea and all that is in them;
Who keeps [e]faith forever;
7 Who executes justice for the oppressed;
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free.8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous;
9 The Lord [f]protects the [g]strangers;
He [h]supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He [i]thwarts the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
[j]Praise [k]the Lord!
In our country today, the day after a presidential election, it is a happy day for many–and also a sad day for many. But it ought to be a happy day for all, and not because of who won the election, whether federal, state, or local. The psalmist had it right long ago, and we would do well to remember his words as He gives praise to God.
In v. 3, he reminds us “do not trust in princes…” Of course, we don’t have princes, so our equivalent is presidents, senators, etc. In fact, do not trust “in mortal man” whatsoever, because they do not have the power to save you. Rather, we are to put our trust in the one who made heaven and earth (v. 6), who keeps faith, not for four years or eight, or even a hundred, but forever.
God alone executes justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, and sets prisoners free. Though typically, he doesn’t just dump it out from heaven! Rather, there is a responsibility to believers to be the hands and feet of God, showing his love and grace to those around us. Some will not be helped, and insist on laying in a “bed” of their own making, but that does not excuse us from doing what God has called us to.
That’s a bit of a tangent perhaps, but this world is in desperate need, lost and in need of a savior. The psalmist continues, as the Lord alone can heal the blind, protect those who are strangers in our land, and support the fatherless and the widow. He thwarts the way of the wicked, yet He uses the righteous to do so (those who love Him, not just those who put on a good show).
And there again, we’ve come back to being God’s living examples in this world. Sure, sometimes God will send an angel, or appear to someone in a dream. But most of the time, people will see Jesus in you, or they won’t see Him at all. Be the light in a dark and dreary world, whose only hope seems to be politicians and their schemes. Show them a better way, not with fancy words or big speeches, but with your actions in love and truth.