Help and Hope in the LORD

Psalms 146

Blessed is He Whose Help is the God of Jacob

Psalms 146, vv.1-2, “Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”

The psalmist started by praising the Lord wholeheartedly and by setting his heart to praise the Lord all the days of his life as a way to express his love for Him. When we set our hearts to praise God all the days of our lives, it is surely something right because our lives are given by Him.

How to live our such a worshipful life? We have to ignore criticisms or slanders made by others, not to compete with others and not to indulge in self-pity. In this way, whatever circumstances we might be going through, we shall be thankful to God, as we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.

A life that worships and praises God is a very blessed life which lives to get rid of worries and frustrations, for we have fixed our eyes only on God.

The psalmist then issued a warning in verses 3-4, “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.”

Human beings, even if they are those who are in authority, may not be of any help to us and should not be the object of our hope and trust. For one day everybody will breathe his last and return to the earth. Whether a king or a life-long president, everybody will die alike.

Moreover, one can just die suddenly and the people around him will be caught by surprise. Once a man is gone, all his capabilities and plans will follow him to the grave.

Today, we may not be trusting in kings anymore, but have we been unknowingly drawn ourselves close to those who are powerful or influential? Don’t we know that the power and influence that one has could be lost in an instant? In whom do you put your trust?

Some might say it is better to trust in ourselves for we can handle all difficulties and secure our lives as long as we work hard and have money. The Bible admonishes us “not to put our hope in wealth” (1 Timothy 6:17). For wealth and money are uncertain, they can either increase or decrease in value, and they can also be stolen by others.

Not to mention that many things in life are not purchased with money. There are many things in life which are actually out of our control.

The psalmist says, “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings,” and he then follows by telling us in verse 5 that, “Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God.”

The Lord covenanted with Jacob (Israel). He would be their God and Israel would be His people. Blessed are those whose help and hope are in their God. For only the LORD will be able to help them, and He will be much more willing to help His covenanted people!

The LORD is Powerful and He Lives Forever

The LORD is more than the God of Jacob, He is the God of all mankind, because verse 6 says that, “He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the LORD, who remains faithful forever.”

Blessed are those whose hope is in the Lord! For they have relied on the Almighty Creator!

If we were to seek for someone or something to trust in our lives, we have to remember that all lives are created by God. The food, the sun and the air, etc... All that we need in lives are created by God. The heavens, the earth, seas and everything in it are created by Him too.

The LORD made a covenant with Noah to make sure that the earth would keep revolving and maintain an ecological balance, so that all things, inclusive of all human beings, shall be preserved under good condition and continue to regenerate.

And not only so, the Lord is faithful and He shall fulfill all His promises made to us. The rulers of the earth or the politicians have a tendency of failing to keep their promises. Some others may try to be faithful in keeping their promises throughout their lifetimes, but unfortunately may die even before they can fully deliver them. They are mere mortals and are not spared even when death strikes them.

No wonder the psalmist says that princes and human beings are “not able to save.” “When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.”

Our Lord is the King who lives eternally. His power and authority last forever and ever. His will and His plan shall not vanish, they shall be fulfilled. “He remains faithful forever.”

More importantly, only God can help us in certain aspects. The Father sent us His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, who was incarnated on earth. He was crucified on the cross and bore the punishment of our sin. He shed His blood and made a new covenant with His people. So, only Jesus, our Savior, can grant us the eternal life.

No king on earth will be spared from death, but the Lord Jesus shall rescue us from all sins and death. He arose for all mankind because He had overcome death, and those who trust in Him shall live forever with Him.

The Lord Jesus is faithful and He will surely fulfill all His promises. Those who trust in Him shall not perish, but they will have eternal life. The Lord is powerful and He is living forever.

The Lord is Merciful and Righteous

Verses 7-9 say that, “He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.”

The Lord is loving and merciful. He knows our predicaments and pains, and He is willing to extend His grace and help us. The Lord Jesus came into the world and He was filled with compassion when He saw many who were trapped in their own plights. He healed many sick people, and He helped many who came to seek His assistance. He also accepted those sinners who had repented of their sins.

When Jesus saw a widow losing her only son, He took the initiative to comfort her and raised her son to life (Lk 7:11-16). A Canaanite woman had a daughter who was possessed by an evil spirit and was tortured badly by it. She knew that only Jesus could save her daughter. When she went to the Lord Jesus and asked Him for mercy, the Lord Jesus praised her for her faith, and He helped her by driving the demon out of her daughter (Mt 15:22-28).

Our God is loving and He shows mercy to the helpless. We will certainly encounter adversities in life where we are helpless in handling them. However, our God is merciful and He will strengthen those who are weak. Our God cares for the righteous; and those who look up to Him shall not be disappointed.

In addition to this, our God is just and He will vindicate the innocent, but make crooked the path for the wicked. There are many instances in the world where the helpless are oppressed by the wicked, and some regimes even suppress their own people. Yet God is able to destroy all the schemes of the evil ones!

Daniel was trapped in the unscrupulous scheme of the wicked and he was then thrown into the lion’s den. It seemed like the righteous was bound to die whereas the wicked were triumphant in life.

But God protected Daniel from the harm of the lions and he was rescued unscathed. Instead, those who set the trap in getting Daniel into trouble were the ones who were devoured by the lions when they themselves were thrown into the lion’s den.

The God of Jacob is our only help, for He loves us and He is compassionate towards our weaknesses. God first loves us, and His love compels us to love Him in return. We will love those who need God’s help if we really love God.

If we are living in God’s love, we will not merely enjoy His love but we shall share His love and grace with others. We are God’s vessels to offer our helps to others on earth. We are Christ’s representatives on earth.

Let’s extend our hands to help those in need and to offer them substantial hope and assistance. Let’s be the voice of justice, and let’s set free those who are oppressed unjustly.

Conclusion:

The Lord protects the righteous, and those who look up to Him shall receive His help. We will encounter hardships on earth, but the Lord Jesus promises us His peace (Jn 14:27;16:33).

Not only does the Lord grant us peace and victory in this life when we encounter difficulties, but He enables us to enjoy rest eternally. For the Lord will lead us through death triumphantly, and He shall be our help and hope forever.

Verse 10 says that, “The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD.”

The Father in heaven who loves us dearly is our Creator, the eternal King. This is indeed wonderful! He shall rule from generations to generations. He is in power and authority and He controls and over-rules all circumstances. He is faithful and He will definitely help us. He is loving and He is just. He shall look after the righteous and He shall strengthen the weak.

We can arise now and start reigning with God. We can defeat our enemies who come against us with the empowerment that comes from the LORD. We can turn our crisis into opportunities and peace.

Hence, our lives shall be overflowing with praises to God, our trust in Him, our love to Him and our love for the people, and we shall live lives that bring glory to Him.

Hallelujah! Amen!