In God We Trust–Psalm 146
If you look on a piece of United States currency, you will find the slogan “In God We Trust” printed (or stamped) somewhere on it. Whether coin or paper, that slogan continues to penetrate the hearts and minds of people all over the world.
When you read through the powerful words of Psalm 146, you will find that those words are not just an olden-day slogan. Rather, they too are words that penetrate the hearts and minds of many — giving us hope, help and life. It is true, in God we trust.
In God We Trust–Psalm 146
1 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my soul.
2 I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
As so many places in Scripture do, the Psalmist reminds us in this passage to keep a worshipful attitude and praise in our hearts throughout all that we do. God inhabits the praises of His people and when we have praise in our hearts it’s easy to trust in our Lord.
3 Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. 5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.
As we’ve all experienced through the course of this pandemic, there is nothing on earth we can truly count on. No human being or human construct is 100% reliable. Yet, our God is. God spoke these Words through the prophet Isaiah in chapter 51 verse 6:
“Lift up your eyes to the Heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the Heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but My salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness shall not be abolished“
6 He is the Maker of Heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— He remains faithful forever. 7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, 8the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. 9The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but He frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The psalmist uses this passage to do two powerful things: remind us of what the God we trust in has done for us, and what He wants us to do. Being the active hands and feet of Jesus–by caring for those less fortunate–we show God our obedience to Him and our worship of Him. When I am working for the Lord, I have great confidence knowing that He will care for me in all ways–and in all that I do.
10 The Lord reigns forever, Your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord.
We serve a God whose kingdom will never end. A God who has unlimited power and abilities. That knowledge alone gives me what the prophet Jeremiah wrote about in chapter 29 verse 11–hope!
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”
The next time you are feeling unsure, maybe someone or something has failed you or you feel like you’ve lost all hope, meditate on the powerful Words of Psalm 146 and know–without a doubt–that you can always trust God. In God we trust forever and ever amen!
Written by Dean Marini
