Psalm 146:1-10
Praise the LORD, My Soul
1Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, O my soul.
2I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.
4When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish.
5Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
6the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He remains faithful forever.
7He executes justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free,
8the LORD opens the eyes of the blind, the LORD lifts those who are weighed down, the LORD loves the righteous.
9The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.
10The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Hallelujah!
Berean Standard Bible
The psalmist tells his soul to praise the LORD and promises to sing while he lives. He warns against trusting princes or mortal men who cannot save; their breath leaves, their plans perish, and their power ends.
Blessed is the one whose help is the God of Jacob and whose hope is in the LORD, Maker of heaven and earth. He remains faithful forever, executes justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, and sets prisoners free.
The LORD gives sight to the blind, lifts the bowed down, loves the righteous, watches over the foreigner, and sustains the fatherless and widow. He frustrates the ways of the wicked and reigns forever.
Questions
1 Why should we not trust princes?
AnswerPrinces are mortal, cannot save, and their plans perish when their breath leaves.
2 Who is blessed?
AnswerThe person whose help and hope are in the LORD, Maker of heaven and earth, is blessed.
3 Whom does God help?
AnswerHe helps the oppressed, hungry, prisoners, blind, bowed down, foreigners, fatherless, and widows.
4 What does God frustrate?
AnswerHe frustrates the ways of the wicked while reigning forever.
What This Means for Us
Political leaders matter, but they are not saviors. Judge authority by the people this psalm says God helps: the hungry, imprisoned, displaced, and bowed down.
Praise becomes credible when it protects those people. Let the family ask whose hunger, freedom, or dignity it can help restore.
Prayer
LORD, defend the oppressed, hungry, imprisoned, displaced, and grieving. Keep us from trusting human power as salvation, and make our praise active in the care You love. Amen.