Who to trust?

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
² I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

³ Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
⁴ When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.

⁵ 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 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 lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
⁹ The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

¹⁰ The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

Who to Trust?

When you have to make a decision, whom do you turn to for advice?

When you get scared, who do you text?

When you feel lonely, whom do you turn to for comfort?

Psalm 146 encourages us to turn to God as our source of comfort and strength. We read, “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation (v.3).” Certainly, turning to family and friends for comfort and support isn’t wrong but all human comfort fails in comparison to what God can offer you. Rather than trusting in earthly leaders or people in positions of authority whose reign is temporary, the psalm tells us to trust God, the One who is eternal and can truly save you.

How do you know God is worthy of our trust? Because Jesus in whom there is salvation spent His life giving justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. He set prisoners free and opened blind eyes. He upholds the fatherless, widow, and sojourner. He paves the way to eternal life through His death and resurrection. His track record proves His power and ability to save.

Don’t trust in princes who are here today and gone tomorrow. Rather, trust in Christ Your Savior who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His plans never change or fade away. They remain the same, always desiring for you to be with Him forever.

Reflection: Why is it easier to trust in earthly rulers more than God, the King of kings?

Prayer: Jesus, You are the King of kings and Lord of lords. You reign over all and hold the whole world in your hands. Thank You for the justice and mercy You showed to those in need while on the earth. Increase my trust in You that You will continue to care for and provide for those in need today. Amen.

Challenge/Takeaway Activity: This psalm is an acrostic poem, meaning that each line begins with the next letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Try writing your own acrostic poem of praise to God using the English language (the first line starts with A, the second line starts with B, etc).