Trusting in Mortality?

Trusting in Mortality?

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

The political and moral chaos which whirls around us promises half-truths, fabrications, discord, disunity, confusion and fear.  Where can we go to learn of that truth that brings clarity from the chaos?

Several days ago, I felt an urging in my spirit to open my Bible, seemingly at random, and simply read where it fell open.  However, nothing orchestrated by the Holy Spirit is random. I found myself at Psalm 146.  If you think the Bible is not relevant for today, please read with me through this Psalm.

Psalm 146:1-2 (NKJV)
^“Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!  While I live I will praise the LORD; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”

The passage begins with an exhortation for us to praise the Lord in our souls.  Our souls are our minds, will and emotions.  It is in the soul that we make choices.  In these verses, we are encouraged to make the choice of praising God.  In English grammar, “I shall” is declarative.  “I will” is emphatic.  We are to make a determination to praise in all  our situations and in spite of our circumstances. We must remember that God enthrones Himself in our praise (Psalm 22:3).

Psalm 146:3-4 (NKJV)
^“Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish.”

Even those who have the most power in the earth are mortal, subject to death.  Their plans, likewise, are mortal.  The older and wiser we become, the more we consider the history of our own lives, the more we will understand the ephemeral nature of mortal man and mortal thoughts.  Do we even remember the slogans of the past:  The New Deal, The New Frontier, The War on Poverty, and It’s the Economy, Stupid.  While we endured the hype, many bought into the programs with their votes and the results were negligible.

Psalm 146:5-6 (NKJV)
^“Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God, Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever.”

We are nearly always disappointed in our elected officials.  Much of the fault lies in us.  We want and expect politicians to meet our needs and insure our happiness.  Even the best governmental programs can meet our needs only on a superficial level.  The programs cannot touch the deeper needs, the needs of our hearts.  Our happiness is in the One who made heaven and earth, the One who made us in His own image. 

He is the one Who executes justice, without bribery, for the oppressed, Who gives both spiritual and physical food to the hungry and freedom to the prisoners trapped in the bondage of sin, hopelessness and negativity.  It is the LORD Who opens the eyes of those who have been blinded by deceit and their own desires. 

Praise the LORD.  He raises those who are bowed down; He loves the righteous because He loves righteousness and not self-righteousness.

The LORD watches over the strangers without pandering for votes; He relieves the fatherless and widow and does not seek to enslave them in hopelessness; But the way of the wicked, He turns upside down (based on Psalm 146:7-9 NKJV).

Just sayin’.