Soul, are you awake? Then praise the LORD! The LORD our God is the one who gives life to each one of us. It is fitting, therefore, to praise him all our days. The psalmist declares that those who put their trust and hope in God are truly blessed. The alternative is to put our hope in the princes of the world. This is what the world urges us to do. Day after day we are bombarded by advertisements that encourage us to put our trust in political leaders. We are easily swayed by the views of the famous and we treat the opinions of intellectuals as fact. However, those who put their trust in man instead of God will be disappointed. These people are but mortals whose lives and plans will disappear and vanish. Isn't it better to put our hope and trust in the eternal God of Jacob who is faithful even when we are not?

We have abundant reason to praise the LORD. The psalmist describes his wonderful works in verses 6-9. Look at the verbs in these verses! The LORD remains, upholds, gives, sets, lifts up, loves, watches, and sustains. He does all of this out of his wonderful love for those who trust in him. Our God is attentive, compassionate, and merciful. It is this God who reigns forever and ever and because of him, our soul can be happy and full of joy.


Application: Lord Jesus, our hope is in you alone forever. Praise your glorious name!
One Word: Put your hope in God, not man