Psalm 146:3-4 confess, "Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish." These words offer immense comfort to us as we begin our vocational tasks this week. It is very tempting to trust in the government, in a politician who promises prosperity and security, and yet those promises usually go unfulfilled. The promises of an earthly leader are vain and give false hope. We must nut trust in the promises of the world, of our job, of the stock market, of the weather channel, or any other thing in this world that would determine our joy and peace. It is very tempting to place our trust in the princes of this world, their goals, their promises, their rewards. We must not trust in them because their words and promises are vain and temporal, they offer no eternal comfort or satisfaction.

We shouldn't trust in these worldly princes, and yet we do. We should not place our hope in those things that fail upon the death of our temporal prince. It is easy to trust in these princes because they offer us something tangible, something worldly and vain that pleases our fleshy desires. Let us repent of our worldly trust and temporal worries, so that we may not perish eternally with the princes who have stolen our trust.

These words from the Psalm offer us great comfort because they are words that turn our hearts from trusting in worldly princes to clinging to the King of Kings, Jesus the Christ, whose plan of salvation was sealed in His death and justified in His resurrection. As the Psalm closes, "The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord.  Jesus' throne is the cross, and His platform is the forgiveness of all your sins. His throne is never taken from Him and His promises never fail, but are fulfilled and proclaimed until He comes again to judge both the living and the dead. The Psalmist guides us from an earthly trust, to an eternal one that never fails. May this eternal truth, that Jesus is your prince who grants you the treasures of the Kingdom, may this promise guide you and console you throughout the week. When you fail, as you and I will, may this promise comfort you in the midst of the world's ridicule, the Old Adam's despair, and the devil's guilt. Jesus is your prince, the eternal one whose plans for your salvation have been fulfilled. Jesus is your prince who will watch over you and your family this week as you continue to receive the gifts He purchased and won for you on the cross.

Peace be with you. May the devil be silenced, the world be hushed, and the Old Adam drowned anew so that you hear only the voice of your Savior Jesus who says, "I know the planes I have for you, plans for your salvation, for your good. I have gone to a place to prepare a mansion for you. It is prepared, it is waiting, you are forgiven," Amen.

Jesus' Sheepdog,

Pastor Hull