Devotions
Devotions – September 12th, 2024
Read: Psalm 146
Let my whole being praise the Lord!
I will praise the Lord with all my life;
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
Don’t trust leaders;
don’t trust any human beings—
there’s no saving help with them!
Their breath leaves them,
then they go back to the ground.
On that very same day, their plans die too.
The person whose help is the God of Jacob—
the person whose hope rests on the Lord their God—
is truly happy!
God: the maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
God: who is faithful forever,
Who gives justice to people who are oppressed,
who gives bread to people who are starving!
The Lord: who frees prisoners.
The Lord: who makes the blind see.
The Lord: who straightens up those who are bent low.
The Lord: who loves the righteous.
The Lord: who protects immigrants,
who helps orphans and widows,
but who makes the way of the wicked twist and turn!
The Lord will rule forever!
Zion, your God will rule from one generation to the next!
Praise the Lord!
Reflect:
Here we get a profound reminder of God’s unwavering support for the vulnerable and His
sovereignty over creation. We get this call to praise the Lord, emphasizing trust in Him rather
than in earthly rulers, who are ultimately fallible and limited. We are all sinless peoples who are
in need of God’s saving work, no human can save us.
The psalmist highlights God’s justice for the oppressed, provision for the hungry, and liberation
for the prisoners. It underscores the Lord’s deep compassion and His role as a steadfast
protector who reigns forever. In times of uncertainty or struggle, Psalm 146 calls us to place our
trust in the Lord, who upholds the righteous and cares for those in need.
Pray:
Almighty God, in a world that remains ever divided, we ask that you turn our eyes to you. Give
us peace in our times of worry and give us joyful hearts to praise you. Almighty God, open our
eyes and hearts to ways in which we aren’t trusting in you, and then give us the courage to be
open to your transformation. Amen.
Pastor Tim