Life is full of ups and downs. There are victories and there are defeats. There are times of inexpressible joy, and there are times of overwhelming sorrow. Psalm 146 reminds us that through the good times and the bad, we should remain consistent with praise for our God. We can count on Him in every season of our lives. Therefore, we should glorify our God and praise His name with everything that is within us regardless of our circumstance. He is worthy of our praise now and for all eternity.

The psalmist says that we are to offer our adoration and worship to Him in awe and reverence because we are dependent upon Him for our very lives, even our next breath. And each breath that we take brings us one breath closer to eternity.

The psalmist acknowledges that he too must praise the Lord from the depths of his soul. He needed to practice what he preached to others. It is sad when we seek to stir up the hearts of others around us so that they might lift up the name of the Lord to praise Him, when we are not stirred up within ourselves. We too must come to Him so that we might also glorify His name.

Our time on this earth is short, so we must make the most of our time in joyful adoration of the One who has saved our soul. We must praise the Lord for as long as we have left to live, and set ourselves apart unto Him for His glory. This is what brings praise to His name. Not just our words. Let us praise Him until the day that we close our eyes and are home with Him in the glory of heaven, where we will bless His name for all eternity.

Do not put your confidence in people with positions of power who seek to occupy the place that only God can occupy. They are all mortal, sinful men, so eventually they will disappoint us, just as we will disappoint them. There is no salvation, deliverance, or victory over sin in any of them. In the end, everyone’s spirit will depart from their body and their flesh will return to the earth with the dust from where it came.

Our thoughts will perish with our flesh when we die. All of our plans are cancelled. Death rules over our ambitions and desires. Without Christ, we have built our lives on nothing eternal, but instead we have built our lives upon sinking sand. We’re told in Ecclesiastes Chapter 1 that everything is vanity, so in the end, our life goes up like a puff of smoke.

The psalmist gives us hope in light of the brevity of life. He reminds us how blessed beyond measure are those whose help comes from the mighty God of Jacob. From the one true God, from the living God who promises eternal life to those who place their confidence in Him. That same God reaches down from heaven to save us in Christ. While others all around us are in despair and confusion, we can rest safely and securely because we have the assurance of eternal life.

His promises to us will never fail. He is true to His nature and to His word so we can confidently put our trust in Him. He executes justice for the oppressed and lifts up the crushed and the broken-hearted. He satisfies the hunger of our soul. He opens our eyes so that we can see the truth and be released from our spiritual bondage. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down in despair, and in pain and suffering.

He dearly loves those who seek to live in obedience to Him and to His word. The Lord protects those who have been rejected and abandoned by everyone. We’re told in Proverbs Chapter 20 that many claim to have unfailing love for us, but it is difficult to find one who is faithful. No one may truly care about us, but the Lord deeply cares for us.

He is the God of Zion to all generations, so cry out with all that is within you. Shout Hallelujah! Praise the Lord, because if we truly know God then it will result in high-pitched praise to Him. Our only hope is in Him, Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.