Advent Devotionals: Day 4

December 2nd, 2020
by Campus Bible Church

Psalm 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.

There is much in this Psalm to ponder. First, it’s a call for those whose help and hope is in the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth to continue praising and trusting Him (cf. Psalm 146:1-6). Take a moment to sing your favorite Christmas song as a form of praise to the One whom the psalmist says is the God of your life. You could try this while waiting in line at a store. Who knows, you might even start an impromptu choir to remind all of the shoppers that Jesus Christ is the Savior born at Christmas.

This Psalm is also a call to minister to the needy (Psalm 146:7-10). In the midst of the Advent season, consider what the Lord would have you do for the oppressed, the hungry, those in prison, the disabled, the discouraged, and the foreigner? Perhaps this is the season God is calling you to be His specific tool to uphold their cause and lift them up.

Prayer: You are the Lord of my life. In the midst of all the activity and preparation of this Advent season, I am asking You to "tune my heart to sing Your praise." I also pray that You will open my heart to the needy and give me Your guidance as I consider specific ways that I might express Your love to others.

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