Praise and Trust in God Alone

Psalms 146:1-10 

1 Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2 While I live I will praise the LORD;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

3 Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
4 His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;
In that very day his plans perish.

5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the LORD his God,

6 Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,

7 Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners.

8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
The LORD raises those who are bowed down;
The LORD loves the righteous.

9 The LORD watches over the strangers;
He relieves the fatherless and widow;
But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.

10 The LORD shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the LORD!

Oh, our trust and praises belong to God alone!  We do not rely on mere politicians, kings, or government parties for things which matter for life and godliness.  They all fail.  All of them.  Without exception.  Why then make them the center of our living and the impetus for our reasoning and passion of argument?  The psalmist knew that trust in God meant that he and we should be relying on the LORD and His word and works for lasting help.  Our praise should be to the King of all kings who is Lord of all, who sets leaders and lands in places for the times He has given them to exist and rule at His discretion and for only as long as they serve Him as He appointed them to do. They are all, without exception, under His authority.  The psalmist reminds us our praise is due to God alone, for as long as we draw breath in this life.  We do not bow to other idols nor serve them, but we obey our leaders whom God has appointed for our good (Romans 13:1-2, 5), not slandering or exalting them (Titus 3:1-2).  God has called us to peace and love for all, especially our leaders whom God has actually elected to their positions, not us.  We are to submit to authorities and not compromise the gospel nor any other command or example of scripture.  Every politician is a human with a limited time to serve as well as to live; all their plans and promises are only as certain as God’s sovereign providence behind them all.  Our lasting help and hope then is in God alone.  He created the universe we live in and the earth we dwell on, and He keeps truth in it all which we read and bear witness to.  It is God who alone executes true justice such as cannot be found in this life, and He feeds the starving through our hands of obedience to His guidance.  He sets prisoners free from the only eternal prison which matters (Isaiah 61:1) and opens blind eyes both literally (Luke 7:22, John 9:32-33) and spiritually (John 9:39).  He raises up the humble and humiliated and watches over those seeking righteousness among the many opposed to God’s word (John 3:19-21).  He is the Father to the orphan and friend to the stranger (Proverbs 18:24, John 15:14-15), hit for those opposed to His righteous gospel of forgiveness and reconciliation, He turns their ways upon their own heads, for God rules absolutely over us all.  Yes, because He reigns forever, we praise our Father the LORD through the Lord Jesus Christ by the understanding and power of the Spirit of the Living God.  We praise and trust in Him alone.  Amen.