Reflection On Psalm 146:1-4

Psalm 146:1-4 says:

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

 I will praise the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
 Do not put your trust in princes,
    in human beings, who cannot save.
 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.
 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

This passage can stand on its own without much explanation. Poetry has a way of doing that when dry text cannot. I do want to point out a couple of things and offer encouragement from this passage.

It is not easy to praise the God with all of our lives. In fact as David points out, it is easier to put our trust in people. To be more specific- in rulers. Because we all know that we will pass from this realm and either be united with God or face judgment away from God. Not even the most acclaimed princes are exempt from death. Their money, power, and influence are finite. All men are but a mist. We cannot hold men as equals to God. That is what will cause our downfall.

"Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God." This turns the tables on our way of thinking.  As we serve an invisible God, who is love, we receive blessings. The primary way that we are blessed is through a relationship with God Himself. As an inheritance we receive a relationship like none other on this earth. We also receive blessings through His Fatherhood, His Kingship, and on and on it goes.

Be encouraged in all that you do. Your trust in God will mean that you will receive blessings as mentioned above. Take a look at your situation. Have you trusted God in your toughest situations? What blessings have you received when you acted on His promises?