Every four years we have a presidential election here in the United States. There are other important elections during other years, such as for state governors, senators, etc. Most other countries have various elections, as well. We all hear these politicians' promises - they’re going to do this and that to help the economy, they will hold to certain foreign policies with other nations, they will get more jobs, help the poor and seniors, etc., etc. Can we trust all of these promises? Everywhere we turn we feel let down. Corporate leaders are often dishonest, and everyone just wants to line their pockets with your money. Who can we trust? We find God’s answer in our psalm for today. Let’s take a look.
The last several psalms in the Book of Psalms begin and end with praise to the Lord, and Psalm 146 is one of these. The psalmist proclaims that as long as he is alive, he will praise the Lord (vs. 2). He doesn’t give any exceptions. He doesn’t say that as long as things are going fine in his life he’ll praise the Lord, as long as he has a good job and a nice, fat bank account. He doesn’t say that he’ll only praise the Lord when his health is good, or when there is peace in the land. The psalmist says that he will praise Him as long as he is alive. Is that our thoughts and attitude, as well, or do we praise Him just when we receive an answer to our prayers or when we feel good?
Next, our psalmist makes a very noticeable and emphatic statement. He tells us in verse 3 that we should not put our trust in princes. The Hebrew word the psalmist used is “nadib”, and would refer to noble ones. Many countries used to have nobility, and some still do. They were people of high rank, but not the king or his immediate family. They could be dukes, earls, barons, etc., princes of high rank. Today we might include our politicians, our senators, congressmen, etc. Our psalmist reminds us that we should not put all of our hope and trust in them for help, for there is no help in man. They are only human, and they will die along with all of their plans and promises (vs. 4). How many times have we put our trust in some politician or leader, believing their promises, only to be let down, their promises false and empty? And even if they do end up being a good and honest leader, they won’t last forever. They die and someone else takes their place, and not necessarily someone as good and honest.
However, the psalmist has some good news for us. Our human leaders and politicians may not be all we hoped for, and may not provide the help that we need, but we can and will find help in the God of Jacob. We can put our hope in Yahweh (vs. 5). What makes God any more trustworthy than all human leaders? The psalmist proceeds over the next several verses to enumerate reasons why we should turn to Him for our help and hope, listing many of His attributes (vs. 6-9).
First, Yahweh is the Creator of all, both on earth and throughout the universe. Unlike most politicians, the Lord God is a God of truth. He is Truth, and keeps His Word. He brings justice to those that are unjustly oppressed, and provides for the needs of the poor and hungry. He brings healing, both physically and emotionally, and watches over the helpless. Our politicians and leaders may promise us this type of help, but only the Lord God can truly fulfill these promises and give this help.
Our psalmist reminds us that God cares deeply about the oppressed, the poor, prisoners, the blind, orphans and widows. Psalm 146 reminds us that He is compassionate and serves as a model for us to follow. If God cares about these vulnerable people, we should as well.
There are a lot of influencers out there wanting us to subscribe to their way of thinking. However, we need to put Jesus Christ first in our life. Though we are warned against trusting in man, we can put our trust in Jesus. He will never lead us astray. Those politicians don’t remember us when they get elected, but Jesus will remember us. He won’t forget our name. He won’t forget our circumstances. Jesus won’t forget our prayers.
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