“Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.” (Psalm 33:22)
Psalm 65:11 says of God, “Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.” And Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.”
Yet, is the Lord America’s God? In what or in whom do Americans trust? President Obama had a message for Americans at the New Year. He encouraged them by saying, “…while 2009 was difficult for many Americans, we must also look back on this year with the knowledge that brighter days are ahead of us – that although our challenges are great, each of us has the courage and determination to rise up and meet them.
It is that spirit that has kept the American Dream alive for generations, and it is that spirit that will keep it alive for generations to come. Happy New Year, everyone.”
And it is good that Americans have courage and determination, that we don’t run from our troubles. But that in itself is not enough. Simply living on our own courage and determination is the same as trusting in ourselves. Let us put our trust in God, for the Bible says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13) And then in the strength of the Lord, we can rise up with courage and determination to meet the challenges our country faces.
Some Americans trust in our military. President Obama wants to close the prisoner’s base in Guantanamo, Cuba. And, it must be admitted that this base has become and embarrassment to America. But, it has been decided that some of these prisoners should be taken to New York and tried there in civilian court and not in a military tribunal. Some were concerned that this would cause a security threat. But Americans were assured that our authorities were well prepared to handle the threat and ensure security. And they may be well prepared. America has some of the best military and other security personnel in the world.
But, our military and security personnel cannot keep us safe apart from God. Psalm 33:16,17 says, “There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.” There is nothing in human strength or strategy, though it be the best in the world, that can keep a country safe. There is only one way to be safe. Verse 18 says, “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.”
Pray for America, pray for our President and all our leaders, pray for our military and other security personnel, and fear God and hope in His mercy. For there is no other way of safety.
Many people trust in the government - government health care, government grants, government schools, government aid for food and finances, and so on. Those who draw up the universal plans for the American people (such as the health care plan) may be intelligent people. They may have what appears to be the best thought out plan in the whole world. They may want everything to be fair. These are all good and wonderful things. But if men trust in government and not in God, they will never be happy and things will never be fair. We need a fair, just government; but we cannot trust in government for government cannot do anything for us apart from the help of God. “It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” (Lamentations 3:22)
Many people put their trust in a man. Many trust in our President to care for us, to change America, to make it great. And President Obama should be honored. He is the President of the United States. We are to honor, respect, and obey those in authority over us. But we must not put too much trust in him nor worship him. No man, no matter how good or strong or handsome or intelligent, can offer us lasting hope. Psalm 118:12 says, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.” And Psalm 146:3 says, “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.”
Why? In whom should we trust? We should trust in God for He is in control of all the “princes” of the earth. Proverbs 8:15-17 says, “By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”
Look at the rest of the verses in Psalm 33. They contain beautiful promises and would make a good prayer for us to pray unto the Lord our God. “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.” (verses 18-22)