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
Tongue in cheek we mimic the grandiose answers of Miss America Pageant contestants when asked what they want most in this world: “World Peace.” “Elimination of hunger and starvation.” “Justice and fairness in the world.” Throw in care for the orphan and widow, freedom for the unjustly imprisoned, sight for the blind and hope for the weary and we all become grandiose in our wishes for the world. We also begin to understand the generosity of our God!
The Psalmist reminds us that God is the maker and keeper of all, and that God is abundant with help for people in need and hope for a new era on earth. Grandiose? Perhaps. Generous? Without question.
Prayer
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. O God, help us to be happy. Amen.