“Who Are You Going To Trust?”
An Exposition of Psalm 146
Prepared for the Hollywood Presbyterian Church
June 13, 2010
Graduation Sunday
Rev. Stephen A. Herring
We are all graduating from something. We all are on our way from one time of life to another. None of us are standing still. We are all changing. Sometimes it does not feel as if we are changing, but this only means that we are changing at different rates of speed. Those who are younger are changing faster. We can watch them change. Those who are graduating may wonder at how fast it all came to pass. Those who are older are changing slower. Either way though, we are all on our way somewhere. This is the weekend when we congratulate all of those who are graduating and taking a step forward in the process of life long learning. As we celebrate with them there is a way in which we are all graduates. As we watch our young people graduate, we are walking with them on to another stage in the process of life.
As we make this transition, and set out on the journey God calls us to after graduation, there are several decisions we will need to make along the way. As we make these decisions there are also certain challenges we will face. This little message from Psalm 146 might help us at these various decision points. There are ten short statements in this Psalm which tell us something important about the Lord our God.
The LORD keeps faith for ever. (Psalm 146:6)
In Hebrew, Faith refers to the ability to make things real in the sense of their being lasting and eternal. The Hebrew root here is the same as is used in the word Amen. The word amen is a statement in Hebrew meaning “It is real”, or, “It is true.” The faith which the LORD keeps exists unto the ages. It is not temporary, it does not change with the arrival of each day. God makes things real, and God keeps things real for ever. There is no shadow of doubt, no shadow of darkness, no shadow of turning, or change in the presence of God. (Compare James 1:17) God is the architect of eternity.
The LORD executes justice for the oppressed. (Psalm 146:7)
One of the things which God makes is justice for all who have become the victims of wrong doing. If a person is the victim of some sort of oppression, God will make it right. God will make justice as surely as God makes the sun come up in the morning and the sun set at night, As certainly as God makes the wind to blow and the waters to flow down hill, God will make right all that is wrong. Oppression will be corrected by virtue of the founding laws of the Universe. Whatever is wrong, God will make it right.
The LORD gives food to the hungry. (Psalm 146:7)
Hunger in the scriptures is often a metaphor for the hunger and thirst for righteousness. Jesus says; “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6) Just as the correction of injustice must bring justice in the sight of God, so also, those who honestly desire a right relationship with God will be satisfied. Our desire for righteousness will be filled. If we seek the right balance of a right relationship with God, we will be satisfied.
The LORD sets the prisoners free. (Psalm 146:7)
The Hebrew says “the LORD unbinds those who are bound.” Throughout the Bible, the language of binding and prison is used to describe our struggle against sin. Sin binds us. Sin takes away our freedom. Sin takes away our choices, confining us into a prison of our own bad habits. Sin removes us from having the ability to live in perfect freedom. Jesus says that “everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34) Jesus puts it like this; “If you abide in my Logos (my WORD), you will truthfully be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” This verse gives us the following formula:
LOGOS/WORD of Jesus = Truth 1 + Truth 2 + Truth 3 = Perfect Freedom
The three forms of truth mentioned here are:
- The Truth about God’s Word
- The Truth about our sinfulness
- The Truth about God’s love
His word teaches us that our sins are completely and unconditionally forgiven by the sacrifice of his blood. His word teaches us that we will live with God for ever if we have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. His word teaches us that we need that relationship. We need to accept Jesus as personal Lord and Savior. With Jesus, nothing can imprison us. Nothing can bind us. Nothing can hold us back. The love of Jesus grants us perfect freedom.
The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. (Psalm 146:8)
All of us go through times when we can not see the fullness of what God is doing in our lives. Especially in times of hardship, we can’t always understand what mystery God is working out in and through our suffering. He is at work though. God is working every day to bring his grace and goodness to fulfillment in and through every experience of our lives. By God’s grace our eyes will be opened and we will see this miracle. By God’s grace we will see God’s glory being fulfilled in every corner of our lives.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down. (Psalm 146:8)
We all get discouraged along the way. We get depressed. We lose heart. We want to quit. As often as we fall along the wayside though, God is there to pick us up and lift us up and carry us if need be. God will get us where we are supposed to be. Don’t worry about being bowed down. Falling down is only human. Just ask God to pick you up and lead you along.
The LORD loves the righteous. (Psalm 146:8)
This is such a wonderful and such a simple concept. If we love God, God responds to our praise and our love. If we seek a relationship with God, God seeks a relationship with us. God will reward us if we honestly desire to do the right thing.
The LORD watches over the sojourners. (Psalm 146:9)
Jesus says this; “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35) We all are on a great journey. Sometimes our journey takes us to places where we feel as if we do not belong. We need to welcome the stranger in our midst. We need to make certain that those who are made the most welcome in this place are those who might feel the least at home. Likewise, when we feel like a stranger, we need to remember that Jesus prepares a place for us. (See John 14:2) Jesus will make us to feel at home. The LORD himself will welcome and secure the stranger.
The LORD upholds the widow and the fatherless. (Psalm 146:9)
All of us have moments when we experience grief and loss. There are moments when we feel like a widow or an orphan. We feel bereft, forsaken, left alone. I can tell you from my own personal experience that few things in life are as painful as losing the one you love. Your faith can be as strong as ever, but he or she is just not here in your moment of need. Jesus says; “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) These are the people God will help the most. This is the ultimate cure for our ultimate suffering. Our God is a God of resurrection. Our God is a God who raises the dead unto eternal life. If grief is our ultimate pain, resurrection is our ultimate comfort.
He makes twisted the way of the wicked. (Psalm 146:9)
The path of the wicked will become convoluted. The path of the wicked will end in ruin. In many ways this life is like a good movie where we watch and we wait knowing that the bad guys will get it in the end. Those who are evil will be twisted up in their own traps in the end. Our God is almighty, all-present, and all-knowing. God is a God of perfect justice, perfect love, and perfect balance in all things. The unrighteous, those who have lived in animosity toward God and in animosity toward their fellow human beings will encounter justice at the end.
So as we graduate, and yes - we all are graduating in big ways and in small ways – we are all moving forward, let us keep the faith. God is with us for the long haul. Take this small lesson. Keep this Psalm with you, and keep the faith along your way. Amen.
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