Psalm 146:3 says, “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” In our country, we are just about to vote in elections. Many people are wondering whom they should vote for. Here we have the opportunity to choose our elected leaders. Which is the best one? Who will serve our country and not themselves? Who will be the best? It is important to make a wise choice, but we must also remember that we cannot put trust in any of them. Consider these words of Psalm 62:9 and 11, “9) Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity… 11) God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.” These verses show us that, even the people with the highest positions and those who think they have good intentions are nothing without God. They are no better than the people of low degree. Psalm 118:8,9 explains, “8) It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. 9) It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.” We cannot trust in men who rule over us because they have no power in themselves. Any power they have comes from God.
Proverbs 29:2a says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.” Yet, even the righteous ruler has no power but what that ruler receives from God. The ruler may exercise wise and kind authority and serve the people in a great way with the people’s best interest in mind, but that ruler could die tomorrow. That ruler is just human. “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” (Psalm 146:4) In the very day that the righteous (or the wicked) ruler dies, his thoughts perish. He cannot rule or serve the people anymore. His work is done. His power is gone. James 4:14b says, “What is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” We cannot trust in men who rule over us because they do not live long. They could be here today and gone tomorrow. We may have the kindest, nicest, wisest ruler; yet, when that ruler dies, his thoughts are gone that day and he cannot rule over us anymore. Isaiah 2:22 says, “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?”
If we cannot put our trust in man, even in the most righteous and the kindest of rulers, in whom can we put our trust? Psalm 146:5 says, “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God.” We can put our trust in the Lord our God. We can put our confidence in the God of Jacob. Only then can we be happy. Psalm 84:12 says, “O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.” Psalm 34:8,9 says, “8) O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 9) O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” Truly, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.” (Psalm 118:8,9) Man will always fail because man is finite. God will never fail. We will be happy when our trust and confidence are in the Lord our God.