Putting My Hope in God Instead of People - Your Nightly Scripture - October 19th
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Putting My Hope in God Instead of People
Evening Scripture
Psalm, Chapter 146
“Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes,
in human beings, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.
He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
he remains faithful forever.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,
the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord.”
Evening Reflection
As a child, I remember asking my parents for reassurance after getting hurt or becoming ill: “Are you sure I will get better? Do you promise?” Usually, my mother would nod her head before assuring me that I would feel better soon. Only later did I learn that I was wrong to ask my parents to promise something they could never keep. Protect me from every harm and disaster? That is something no human can do.
Children naturally seek this protection, but the need for security remains as adults. We can often make the same mistake by misplacing our hopes: We cling to friends, spouses, governments, and rulers thinking they can provide the safety we crave, the promise that nothing bad will touch us or those we love. Only with time and experience do we learn not to put our hopes in people, for they will inevitably let us down.
Scripture tells us not to put our trust in humans since they have no ability to ultimately save us, and they will face an end like everyone else (see Psalm 118:8-9; Isaiah 2:22). Instead, we are to look to the Lord, who “is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them — he remains faithful forever” (Psalm 146:6). He alone is the One who can give us the security and salvation we seek. Not only does He sustain us, but He provides us with more blessings than we could ever deserve or imagine.
Instead of looking to something or someone to help us feel safe or reassured, may we look to the One who is the Author and Sustainer of life. He breaks the chains of the oppressed and protects the vulnerable. Out of anyone in our lives, even the most trustworthy, the Lord is the only One who will never let us down (Hebrews 13:5-6).
He won’t promise that nothing bad will ever touch us, or our loved ones, again. But He does promise to be with us always. And our future in Christ is secure: all will be well when we walk with Him in eternity.
Evening Prayer
Lord of every promise,
I offer my voice to the many throughout time who have praised You. Forgive me for the times I have turned to others or to institutions for assurance and help that only You can provide. They cannot save me or keep me from suffering. So, I proclaim with all the other saints, that my trust is in You as my help and hope. May I not look to rulers. May I not look to money. May I not look to family. May I not look to friends. For only You remain steadfast when all is unsteady and unsure. You will never leave me, not even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
You formed the sky and sea and are Lord over all creation. If I can trust You to keep my heart beating and the sun rising, then I trust that You will be with me in this moment of need as One closer than a friend or sibling.
In Your name, Christ, I pray.
Amen.
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Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
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