Where Is Your Hope?

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!

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In times of uncertainty, in times of trouble, in times of trial – where is your hope?

Psalm 146 reminds us that God is the central figure in all of life both now and forever. This psalm is all about God. In these ten verses, the name Yahweh or LORD is used eleven times and Elohim or God is used four times. He is the theme of the song; he is the object of praise; he is the prime actor throughout these verses.

The psalm begins with a call to praise. Our God is worthy of all honor, awe, reverence, and glory. He's worthy to be praised with our whole being and with every breath of our entire lives (vv. 1-2). Why? The last verse tells us that he is the sovereign King who reigns forever and ever. His rule and reign is eternal and over all generations. What a comfort knowing that God is supreme over all things (v. 10).

Therefore, our hope and our trust can be in nothing else but God alone (v. 3). In times of trouble, like our current pandemic, it's easy to take our eyes off of the One who is supreme and seek our salvation in lesser things. Our government officials, health care workers, employers, and more are all gifts from the Lord. Yet, they are only temporal and one day will return to the earth or come to an end (v. 4). Our hope is sure when it's founded not upon the temporal but upon the eternal, upon our King eternal.

The psalmist goes on to say that those who find their help and hope in the Lord are blessed (v. 5). Then he gives us four reasons why our hope is secure: God is the creator of all things; he's faithful; he's just; and he's the provider.

Our God created the heaven, the earth, and the sea as well as everything that's in them (v. 6a). Every star, planet, moon, mountain, valley, desert, forest, animal, fish, and atom were spoken into existence by our great God. Where is our hope? It's in the one who flung the galaxies in place and filled the earth with creative beauty and wonder.

Our God is forever faithful (v. 6b). His steadfast love is great above the heavens and his faithfulness reaches the clouds (Ps. 108:4). Like waves rolling into shore during a storm, God's faithfulness is unceasing and unwavering. During the storms of life, his faithfulness is relentless. Where is our hope? It's in the one whose faithfulness endures forever (Ps. 117:2).

Our God executes justice for the oppressed (v. 7a). He's sees the broken, the downtrodden, and the hurting and guarantees to one day make things whole. He counts our tears, knows our pain, and is acquainted with our grief. Where is our hope? It's in the one who will perfectly right all wrongs.

Our God fully provides for and satisfies the hungry (v. 7b). He's the shepherd that makes us lie down in green pastures. He's the king who calls us to his banquet table. He satisfies the hungry soul and fills it with good things (Ps. 107:9). Where is our hope? It's in the one who is our portion forever.

Our hope is in him. When we were in the shackles of sin, he set us free (v. 7c). When we were blind to the truth, he opened our eyes (v. 8a). When we were cast down, he lifted us up (v. 8b). When we were wrapped in shame, he extended his sacrificial love and clothed us in righteousness (v. 8c). When we were vulnerable, he proteced us (v. 9). He is our hope because he continues to move toward us in these ways.

Therefore, we sing praise to the Lord who is reigning now and will reign forever. "Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!"

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Heavenly Father, we give you praise from the depths of our being. As long as we have breath, we will praise Your name. How could we ever place our hope and trust in lesser things. You're the creator of all things, you're forever faithful, you're just in all your ways, and you satisfy us with your Word and with your presence. We trust you! We hope in you for you alone are our hope! We declare with joyful praise, "You reign forever to all generations." We pray and give praise in the name our Lord and King - Jesus. Amen.

~ written by John Mueller