Psalm 146 (Listen)
146:1 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!
Devotional:
…executing justice for the exploited and giving food to the hungry. The Lord frees prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord raises up those who are oppressed. The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord protects resident aliens and helps the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. (Psalm 146:7-9)
I praise and thank God because He helps those who cannot help themselves. Sometimes it takes a few minutes to think through Scripture when seemingly unrelated topics are written about in the same Psalm. It might seem that way here at first glance. But the afflicted and oppressed people in verses 7-9 need more than influential people to help them – they need the Lord. He has the ability to save them from their plight and His heart is fully engaged in offering compassion. Do not trust finite people to do what only God can do. Hope needs to be rightly placed.
Pray It: Father, thank you for helping me in my spiritual need through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Help me to reflect the care you have for those in need to further your praise and glory on this earth. Amen.
Share It: Share a verse or thought from this passage with someone today.