Psalm 146 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 146 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Verse 2I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
Verse 3Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
Verse 4When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
Verse 5Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God,
Verse 6who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
Verse 7who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free;
Verse 8the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.
Verse 9The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
Verse 10The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord!
Devotion
So who, then, is in control? Amy asked, after we had read together this psalm. We talk about when to pray and when to get to work. It is a balance, she concluded, to trust God and to be God's hands and feet in our neighborhood.
It is a different perspective than the rules of engagement we see modeled around us. Self-interest and security dominate our daily planners and we build higher fences to protect our illusions.
Partners with God - a God of hope, joy, and promise; a God of justice, abundance, freedom, and vision; a God of love and welcome who embraces hatred even of our enemies.
Will we trust God's promises and risk such grace-filled living? It is an old question for a new generation. And God waits for us to "catch up."
Prayer
Your kingdom come, O God, we pray. Ready us for tempo changes and the courage to see through your heart. Amen.