Thursday Psalms: Trust in the Way!

     

Psalm 146 is included in our Scripture readings for this coming Sunday.  This is a beautiful anthem of praise, and a powerful call to trust in the Lord.  God lovingly calls us to face this challenging question:  Who do you trust?  To whom do you turn for comfort and salvation as you walk through days of suffering in this world?  In our sermon last Sunday we wrestled with God telling us:  it is a gracious thing in the sight of God...when we suffer unjustly.  This psalm reminds us to trust and hope in the Lord, who gives us His grace in our suffering.

   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! 

Verses 5-9 in this psalm describe so many examples of God's grace, gifted to His beloved children, including you & me.  But this psalm also points us to John 14:1-14, the sermon text for this coming Sunday.  In John 14:6 Jesus focusses His grace, telling us:  "I am the way, and the truth, and the life."  Jesus is the WAY through your suffering, oppression and hopelessness in this life!  Jesus is the WAY to eternal peace & joy in heaven!  Jesus is the TRUTH, who opens your blind eyes, who raises you up and makes you righteous!  Jesus is the LIFE, who remains always with you, comforts you, and gives you hope no matter what is going on in your life!  The truth of Jesus is the only way to eternal life!

I pray for you today, that this psalm and these trustworthy assurances from Jesus will lift you up and comfort you during the suffering and struggling times in your life.

O  Lord, teach us to always trust You, our Way, our Truth and our Life.  AMEN.

Peace in Christ, the Way,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

     We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

        sharing God’s love & mercy with each other and the world.

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Soli Deo Gloria

"My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth."  Psalm 121:2