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
This psalm praises God for blessing his followers, while he brings ruin to the way of the wicked.
People have put their trust in Lenin, Hitler, Stalin, Mao and other world leaders. Their dreams have perished at death.
People who put their trust in the God of Jacob, the Creator of the universe who keeps his promises forever, are happy and blessed. The list of blessings includes justice for the oppressed, food for the hungry, setting prisoners (such as the addicted) free, opening eyes to see the gracious love of God, and lifting up the depressed.
The Father loves those made righteous in the blood of Christ. He especially cares for the needs of widows and orphans. Jesus invites us to follow His earthly example, to honor and serve our Lord, by loving and caring for all people, too. Jesus says, "Inasmuch as you have done to them, you have done it to me."
Prayer
Lord, thank you for your many blessings to me. Open my eyes to see the needs of others! Amen.