Eastertide Devotion – May 22

Put not your trust in princes,
    in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. Psalm 146:3

Psalm 146 is our Psalm for this week. It points to the heart of so many issues facing us in life. Our natural tendency is to trust in human solutions for our problems.

This verse speaks first about people in leadership and authority in the government. It has become more and more common for our society to look to the government for answers. In its earliest form governments (kings and princes) provided for the defense of a country. Europe is dotted with castles and strongholds as testimony to this. Over the years we have turned to our secular authorities for everything from health care to life style management of our children.

But governments are not the only places we inappropriately place our trust. Unfortunately we seek salvation in human wisdom, reason and inventiveness. It must be admitted that governments, wisdom, reason and inventiveness all have their place but we must never sell our souls to these human institutions.

Kingdoms fall.  Castles are destroyed. Human reason has repeatedly failed us.  Assured and settled science has been proven to be false.  Psalm 146:3 is a sober reminder that it has never been wise to trust in people for salvation.

Rather: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God (Psalm 146:5). While God may use princes or other human agents to help us, our ultimate help and salvation comes from the LORD. He is the source of all life.  He sent Jesus to be the Prince of Peace who brings life and salvation.  We trust in Him.  He sets prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind, upholds the widow and fatherless and brings the way of the wicked to ruin.

Spend a moment and meditate on Psalm 146

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 Put not your trust in princes,
    in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
    on that very day his plans perish.
5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
7     who executes justice for the oppressed,
    who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8     the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the sojourners;
    he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The Lord will reign forever,
    your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

Prayer: Lord, grant that when I am tempted to trust in human understanding and might that I may be drawn back to trust in you for my salvation. Amen.

OLD WARDOUR CASTLE

WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND

http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/old-wardour-castle

God’s richest blessings in Christ,

Pastor Philip Quardokus