Psalm 146:1-4
1 Praise the LORD!Praise the LORD, O my soul! 2I 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.
4When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
Psalm 146:3f – Put not your trust in princes… . In the face of the election of Barack Obama, and problems all over the world that need great wisdom to address, what a needed word this is.
Not even the most gifted charismatic, intelligent, … leader is worthy of our ultimate trust. We need good, intelligent, perhaps even charismatic political leaders, but they do not deserve our hope for a better world. Far too often both we and those we elect believe that the ability to make things better lies in the right political philosophy, the right person, the right people in the right job at the right time.
God laughs at such arrogance. It is no place for the believer to jump on the same band wagon that the rest of the world jumps on when a popular figure gets to the head of state. We are to see all elected officials as ordained of God to reward the good and punish the evil. And we must see that living non-conformed in this world means not hoping in lesser things than God for our well being.
We should pray that our leaders fulfill the purpose God put them into office. Pray that they acknowledge that God has put them there. Pray that they make laws that benefit the most needy among us. Pray that religious freedoms be recognized. Pray for wisdom for them.
But put your ultimate hope in the One who put them in office.
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