Commentators often speak of the eight categories of psalms found in the book of Psalms. I want to look at psalms of praise, or a psalm, which I will explain in a moment. This song is derived from a Hebrew word for showing praise and appreciation. It’s a song that recognizes the acts and character of God and responds appropriately in worship. Only one psalm is called a psalm of praise in the book of Psalms, and that’s Psalm 146. But get this: in the Hebrew Bible, the whole book of Psalms is named “psalms of praise.” So, all 150 could be grouped into this category in this sense.
Here is a fun fact. You’ll find another psalm of praise in the Bible. The Levites sing one on the battlefield, where the Lord fights for Judah, Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. The lyrics are simple: “Give thanks to the Lord, for His steadfast love endures forever” (2 Ch 20:21–22).
The question that Psalm 146 encourages us to ask is, “Where do you place your trust?” Several recent studies have found that we are at an all-time low in this area of trust. Trust in media is at an all-time low. So too is trust in government, brands, fellow citizens, global stability, and catch this, we are at an all-time low in trust of the internet. William Shakespeare wrote, “Love all, trust few.” So again, “Where do you place your trust?”
We discover that Psalm 146 begins with praise and encouragement to encourage yourself to engage in worship (vv. 1-2). In part, praise is a matter of will. The psalmist makes it crystal clear that we are to praise God.
As we proceed through the psalm, we begin to realize that when we boil it all down, there are only two alternatives in life, either we trust people (including ourselves) or trust God.
If we all would honestly examine our lives for a moment, most of us would have to admit that we spend most of our time trusting people. We trust politicians to run the country. We trust our favorite news outlets to tell us what’s going on in the world. We trust professors to educate us. We trust doctors to diagnose and treat us. We trust pastors to care for our souls. These are not all bad things. Some are even quite essential. But, this can often lead us to live our lives without much prayer over decisions and the like. Here is the problem. All too often, we simply do not expect God to run our lives in the day-to-day. So, we learn that we are not to praise others (vv. 3-4).
As we continue to work our way through the psalm, we find the psalmist pronounces a blessing upon the one “whose help is the God of Jacob.” What does the psalmist mean by “God of Jacob?” “The God of Jacob” is not only a title for God; it also brings to our minds all God did to help this Hebrew patriarch. God helped him prosper. The Lord blessed Jacob with twelve sons who became the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel. God rescued Jacob from famine. The Lord restored his lost son Joseph to him. The understanding is that as God has done with Jacob, so will he do with us (v. 5).
Further, the psalmist writes that a person is blessed “whose hope is in the Lord.” Why? We discover through a list the psalmist provides that God is an all-powerful and compassionate God (vv. 6-9). When perfect power meets perfect compassion, we are free to fall into the arms of the Lord in quiet trust. God is powerful and able to deliver us, while He is loving and desires to do so. This is the best of all possible worlds. This is a God who can be counted on completely.
Now it’s clear that we ought to place our trust in God. Ultimately, we see the fulfillment of what is being described by the psalmist in Jesus Christ. We know that God is both all-powerful and full of compassion because of the incarnation. In Jesus, we see God the Son triumphing over sin and death and hell in power, and equally, we see His matchless love pouring out to us.
Then, lastly, the psalmist writes in verse 10, “The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!” This psalm opens with the call “Praise the Lord” and closes with the same call. Here is where we place our surest trust in life. Here is a trust with an eternal reward. Here is a trust that will never fail. When we place our trust, faith, and love in the Lord and live on mission with Him, we are not only preparing for eternity; we can experience a bit of eternity right now.
Remember our question? Where do you place your trust? We ought to place our trust in the Lord. Are you hurting? Are you overwhelmed? Come to Jesus, whom you can trust, and let His power and love wash over you as your Savior and Lord. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!