Psalm 146 (NIV) What Joy!
Praise the Lord, my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
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.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.
He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
he remains faithful forever.
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 reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord.
Devotion
A celebration of praise opens this psalm of joy to the Lord! It is a reminder during the winter days of Lent of our God’s glory, goodness, and faithfulness. Every day as long as we live, our life is to be a praise to our Creator. That praise is continued throughout Eternity.
The psalm continues by telling us that unlike human rulers, God saves us. Blessed and happy are those who hope in, and are helped by the Lord our God!
The psalm shows God’s great love and faithfulness for us in action. His compassion and tenderness are revealed as He works in the lives of the oppressed, hungry, prisoners, blind, hopeless, foreigners, and widows.
Our previous church theme, “Journey to the Heart of God” and our current theme “Sent from the Heart of God”, have caused me to reflect that this psalm shows me God’s heart. He upholds, gives food, sets free, gives sight, lifts up, loves, watches over and sustains. Our Lord Jesus did these very things on earth as he cared for individuals; healing and changing their lives, while showing us the true way of hospitality and service toward others. May we joyfully praise the Lord by following His example; loving and serving others through His Holy Spirit.
Prayer (from Lectio 365)
Father, help me to live this day to the full,
Being true to You, in every way.
Jesus, help me to give myself away to others,
Being kind to everyone I meet.
Spirit, help me to love the lost,
Proclaiming Christ in all I do and say.
Amen.
Connie Stewart
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