We place our hopes in people or things that we believe will provide a better future for us. So we put hope in our bank accounts, thinking that, whatever our future needs, we will have money to pay for them. Or, we might put our hope in a new boss who promises to improve work conditions and boost our benefits. We place our hope in governments, thinking they will take measures to improve living conditions, protect us from enemies, and provide for our safety.
We learn from experience, however, that economies collapse, bosses fire people, and governments often fail. Our sources of hope can let us down.
Knowing that our futures are beyond our control, people have always sought to find “gods” who were stronger than they were, and who would take care of them. Of all the gods that were honored, Israel had the best. And so the Psalmist sang (Psalm 146:2,5-9).
“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”
Israel was the happiest of all peoples because they knew their God would take care of them. Their hope was based, not on their own imaginations, but on concrete evidence of what their God had done for them.
The Psalmist made a list of some of the benefits that went along with belonging to their God.
“Who keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry.”
He was not a temporary God or a whimsical one. He was steadfast in his commitment to his people and, no matter what they did, he remained faithful to his promises. Whenever one of his people was oppressed, he intervened and saw that they got justice. Whoever was hungry, he would feed.
“The Lord sets captives free…gives sight to the blind…raises up those who were bowed down.”
When enemies invaded Israel and people were taken captive, God stepped in and devised a plan to set them free. He did what no other gods could do—gave sight to the blind and lifted the spirits of those who were bowed down with troubles. He are about his people, and knew how to give hope to them, no matter what their circumstances were.
Lastly,
“…the Lord loves the just. The Lord protects strangers.”
He was not a distant god but one who showed personal love to those who were faithful to him. And he was such a generous god that his blessings extended even to strangers—those who were not part of Israel. There were no bounds to his love and protection.
Aren’t we blessed to have the God of Jacob as our God? All the blessings listed in this Psalm are ours, plus many more. The Old Testament writers couldn’t imagine that God would one day send his own Son among us to teach, encourage, heal, forgive sins, and be a friend who would never abandon us. And who could have ever imagined that God would give us the flesh and blood of his own Son for our spiritual food? Moreover he sent us his Holy Spirit to dwell permanently in our hearts and be an ongoing source of hope in our lives.
When times get difficult and our own resources seem to be running out, do we remember to turn to our God for hope? Do we ask the Holy Spirit to stir up in our hearts the gift of hope given us at baptism?
“I will sing praise to my God while I live” (Ps 146:2).
