PSALM 146
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. – Psalm 146:3-9
PSALM 146 IF YOU TRUST GOD & NOT MAN
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Do you run to God or to yourself and others when in trouble?
Do you think that humans rather than God will have all the answers?
Remember that the Lord God sees and knows all things
Because he made everything, he sees all your difficulties
Why would you trust man and leaders who are finite like you
If you trust God and not man, you’ll be blessed and have wisdom
Blessed are you who run to the Lord for help, you’ll be hopeful
If you trust man and not God, you’ll be frustrated and anxious.
In this psalm, the writer who is unidentified cautions man not to put their trust in anyone. He mentions princes here which we could also think of those who are in authority over us. Most rulers and kings of the world do not necessarily know God, so they would be operating and leading under the world system which is usually corrupt and ungodly. Man is fallible while God is perfect. Why would anyone want to rely on someone who is imperfect? Wouldn’t you want to be anchored to someone stable? Matthew 7:34-37 says this “24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been found on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” The Lord is our rock and our salvation. Man is not dependable because he is weak and easily tempted to sin.
The psalmist continues to point out all the benefits of trusting God and not in man. God rescues man and lifts up those who are bowed down. God is faithful, he will never let you down unlike man who is so ambivalent and unstable. The Lord never forsakes or leaves us. He is full of wisdom and good counsel and his love is unconditional.
REFLECTION
· Share a time that you trusted man more than God and they failed to deliver.
