Psalm 146
1Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, I tell myself.
2I will praise the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath.
3Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there.
4When their breathing stops, they return to the earth, and in a moment all their plans come to an end.
5But happy are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God.
6He is the one who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He is the one who keeps every promise forever,
7who gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The LORD frees the prisoners.
8The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts the burdens of those bent beneath their loads.The LORD loves the righteous.
9The LORD protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.
10The LORD will reign forever. O Jerusalem, your God is King in every generation! Praise the LORD! (Psalm 146:1-10, NLT)
We live in perhaps one of the most polarized times in the history of our country. Wherever you may align yourself on the political spectrum, it’s easy to think that all of the problems in our country could be solved if everyone agreed with our views and our solutions.
By extension, we can be fooled into thinking that if people who align with our political persuasions can come to power, things would be much better off.
The truth is, as the psalmist says in verse 3, the people who are in positions of authority really have no power to effect lasting change. Why? They are mortal. Being mortal doesn’t just mean that they are subject to death but it also means they are susceptible to all of the vices that mortals are susceptible to – greed, power, corruption, and pursuing their own self-interests.
This is not to say that people cannot effect change or that we shouldn’t give careful thought to who we vote for public office. There is no doubt that the right people can make a huge difference in our communities.
But we shouldn’t put our confidence in them because ultimately, they cannot help. Only the Lord can. Only the Lord ALWAYS keeps his promises. He is righteous and just and he is concerned for the orphan, the widow, the poor and oppressed.
In addition, only the Lord can meet our deepest spiritual needs. And because He is the eternal King, we can ALWAYS depend on him. Political parties are always changing, which means that the perspectives, approaches and solutions to the issues of the day are constantly shifting as well. But God is eternal. He never changes and He doesn’t change His opinion or His approach.
Thus, the psalmist can say, “He is King in every generation!”
Amen!
Reflection
In what ways can you tend to trust in politicians and people of power to effect change?
While still being politically active and responsible, how can you ensure that your ultimate trust is in the Lord and not people?
Photo by Cameron Smith on Unsplash
The Lowedown 
i can hardly wait for inauguration address,,,
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