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
What verbs would describe the ways you experience God at work in your life of faith at the present time? Verses seven and eight suggests some words to capture God's engagement in our world—God sets, opens, lifts, loves and watches. Today in the United States elections are taking place which will simultaneously excite and disappoint people of good mind, heart and conviction. How will God show forth through what is enacted this day? While new "commandments" will likely emerge as a result of our collective voting today, let us not forget the Greatest Commandment—to love the Lord our God with heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Prayer
Sovereign God, let your mercy and compassion and wisdom be made manifest in the leadership and legislation of this and all countries. Amen.