Advent 3:3. 17 December 2013

image by Shirley B

by Kaysi Hastings

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever...

Psalm 146:1-6

Over the past couple years as I've read various portions of the Old Testament, I've been struck by how consistently God denounces idolatry. In our modern world the idea of bowing before a piece of wood or metal probably strikes many of us as a little silly. And yet God repeatedly had to remind His people not to get caught up in the idol worship of the nations around them. We might wonder how God's own people could so easily forget such a seemingly basic instruction. Of course, most of us probably also recognize it doesn't take a carved object for one to practice idolatry. Modern equivalents might look like the sums in our bank accounts or the degrees hanging on our office walls or the products that bring us enjoyment. If we trust in these things to provide us with peace and security more than we trust in God to do so, these things are idols.

In Psalm 146, the psalmist warns against trusting in princes, or more broadly in "a son of man." We often place our trust in men on many different levels. We believe our favorite politicians will make our cities and states and nations more morally upright. We believe our favorite authors and teachers will provide us with accurate information about how we should live. We believe our friends and family will bring us love and fulfillment. The problem with all these things is humans are broken, and every human will, at some point, disappoint us.

We read repeatedly in the Old Testament that God is a jealous God, and we might be inclined to believe that this is the sole reason He has always instructed His people to avoid idolatry. There is, however, another element to this. God also loves His people and He knows the broken creation can never meet all our needs; only the perfect, wise, and loving Creator can do that. In telling us not to put our trust in idols, He really is protecting us from heartache.

The psalmist in today's text not only offers a warning but also displays the joy that comes with placing trust in our loving and powerful Creator. When those closest to us let us down, His Spirit comforts us. When our politicians make decisions that disappoint us, we can rest in the knowledge that Christ is still King and will one day right all wrongs. When the authors and teachers we read say something we question, we can relax as we remember that God has always worked through broken vessels. The God who created the earth and the people who live here, who also cared enough to become one of us in His pursuit of redemption and restoration for His creation, can always be trusted. And blessed indeed is he whose help and hope are in this God!

Take some time to consider the following. Perhaps it would be helpful to record your responses in a journal.

In what people (or things) have I placed my trust and been let down? How has God met me in my disappointment? How might I currently shift my perspective so that my trust and hope are in my Creator rather than in a product of His creation?

Here is a prayer in response to today's text. You can pray this as your own or use it as a prompt for a spontaneous prayer.

Our God, who created all that is good and beautiful in this world, forgive us for sometimes placing our hope in what You've created rather than in You, the Creator. Thank You for being the One in whom we can consistently hope. May we find joy in trusting You today.