Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
Happy is the one who has the God of Jacob for help and whose hope is in the Lord his God. This is to turn from man and put no trust in princes, rulers, fellow men, or idols, for there is no help and salvation in them as there is in the Lord God of Israel. Mortal helpers are not to be counted on, for their breath is in their nostrils, and when it goes forth they die and return to earth and in that very day their plans and thoughts perish. The hope rests on God as Creator and faithful keeper of truth forever, who judges for the oppressed, provides for the needy, frees the captive, heals and cares for the vulnerable, preserves those who love Him, and brings the wicked to ruin. It calls those in need and danger to depend on God daily with gratitude, faith, and prayer for counsel and wisdom, looking to Him rather than to human authority to guide decisions and keep from wrongdoing.
True Happiness and Trust
Happy is the one who has the God of Jacob for help and whose hope is in the LORD his God. That happiness lies in making God the help and the Lord the hope, rather than relying on human rulers. Unlike mortal people and princes, who cannot ultimately help, God is a sure object of trust. This hope rests on God as Creator and faithful keeper of truth, defender of the oppressed and needy. In danger and uncertainty and in personal need and temptation, such hope brings peace and confidence that needed help will come, calling for gratitude and faith rather than unbelief.
This means to cease from man and put no trust in princes, rulers, sons of men, fellow men, finite changeable people, or idols. There is no help or salvation in them as there is in the Lord God of Israel. Men are only mortal, they cannot save a soul and cannot help as the Lord God of Israel helps. No man holds the place of God to another, so people must not look to fellow men to know duty. Instead they must go to the Lord for counsel and pray to him for wisdom with heart and mind and soul, and he will graciously help in extremity. By contrast the house of Jacob is called to walk in the light of the Lord by trusting and hoping in God alone, especially when those who lead cause error and destroy the way.
Mortal helpers are not to be accounted of because their breath is in their nostrils. When their breath goes forth they die and return to earth. In that very day their life, plans, and thoughts perish. Mortal rulers cannot save, and their life and plans end at death, while the God of Jacob remains a sure source of help.
God's Faithful Caring Character
The happiness promised belongs to the one whose help and hope are in the Lord his God, because that hope has a sure ground in who God is. He is the Creator of all things, and therefore able to do what mortal rulers cannot do. He keeps truth forever, holding faithfully and unchangeably to His word and covenant. This same God executes judgment for the oppressed and defends the needy, giving food to the hungry and provision to those in want. He sets the captive free, opens blind eyes and heals the broken, lifts up the bowed down, and watches with tender care over the widow, the fatherless, and the vulnerable stranger. He preserves all who love Him while turning the way of the wicked upside down to their ruin, and by this delivering power He brings the honest in heart out of darkness into light.
Living Hope Each Day
Happiness belongs to the one whose help is in the God of Jacob and whose hope rests in the Lord as God, and this calls those who are tempted over personal needs to depend on God, answer with gratitude, and exercise faith instead of unbelief. In times of danger and uncertainty that hope in God brings peace and confidence that the help that is needed will come. No one is to look to fellow men to learn duty, because no man stands in the place of God to another, since men are mortal and cannot save a soul or give help as the Lord God of Israel gives. Instead people are to go to the Lord for counsel and pray to Him for wisdom with heart and mind and soul, and He will graciously help in extremity.
God rather than human authority is to direct decisions and plans and to keep from wrongdoing. This means to cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils and to put no trust in princes or in sons of men, in whom there is no help, for mortal helpers die when their breath goes forth and they return to earth, and in that very day their thoughts perish, so they are not to be reckoned on. The house of Jacob is called to walk in the light of the Lord by trusting and hoping in God alone, especially when those who lead cause error and destroy the way. Workers in different countries must meet local needs wisely while depending on God rather than on human centers, because true help and hope rest in God and not in finite people whose nature is changeable.
The Lord is the ground of hope because He keeps truth forever, and this promise gives comfort when infirmity hinders activity, calling for trust in God and holding fast to His sure mercies and everlasting covenant. This happy hope belongs even to honest-hearted people in heathen lands who are upright in God's sight. For them light rises in darkness, and God delivers them and leads them by a way they have not known, making darkness light and crooked paths straight. Help and hope are in God and not in idols, for He frees those held captive and brings the honest in heart out of darkness.
Happy is the one who has the God of Jacob for help and whose hope is in the Lord his God. This is to turn from man and put no trust in princes, rulers, fellow men, or idols, for there is no help and salvation in them as there is in the Lord God of Israel. Mortal helpers are not to be counted on, for their breath is in their nostrils, and when it goes forth they die and return to earth and in that very day their plans and thoughts perish. The hope rests on God as Creator and faithful keeper of truth forever, who judges for the oppressed, provides for the needy, frees the captive, heals and cares for the vulnerable, preserves those who love Him, and brings the wicked to ruin. It calls those in need and danger to depend on God daily with gratitude, faith, and prayer for counsel and wisdom, looking to Him rather than to human authority to guide decisions and keep from wrongdoing.
True Happiness and Trust
Happy is the one who has the God of Jacob for help and whose hope is in the LORD his God. That happiness lies in making God the help and the Lord the hope, rather than relying on human rulers. Unlike mortal people and princes, who cannot ultimately help, God is a sure object of trust. This hope rests on God as Creator and faithful keeper of truth, defender of the oppressed and needy. In danger and uncertainty and in personal need and temptation, such hope brings peace and confidence that needed help will come, calling for gratitude and faith rather than unbelief.
This means to cease from man and put no trust in princes, rulers, sons of men, fellow men, finite changeable people, or idols. There is no help or salvation in them as there is in the Lord God of Israel. Men are only mortal, they cannot save a soul and cannot help as the Lord God of Israel helps. No man holds the place of God to another, so people must not look to fellow men to know duty. Instead they must go to the Lord for counsel and pray to him for wisdom with heart and mind and soul, and he will graciously help in extremity. By contrast the house of Jacob is called to walk in the light of the Lord by trusting and hoping in God alone, especially when those who lead cause error and destroy the way.
Mortal helpers are not to be accounted of because their breath is in their nostrils. When their breath goes forth they die and return to earth. In that very day their life, plans, and thoughts perish. Mortal rulers cannot save, and their life and plans end at death, while the God of Jacob remains a sure source of help.
God's Faithful Caring Character
The happiness promised belongs to the one whose help and hope are in the Lord his God, because that hope has a sure ground in who God is. He is the Creator of all things, and therefore able to do what mortal rulers cannot do. He keeps truth forever, holding faithfully and unchangeably to His word and covenant. This same God executes judgment for the oppressed and defends the needy, giving food to the hungry and provision to those in want. He sets the captive free, opens blind eyes and heals the broken, lifts up the bowed down, and watches with tender care over the widow, the fatherless, and the vulnerable stranger. He preserves all who love Him while turning the way of the wicked upside down to their ruin, and by this delivering power He brings the honest in heart out of darkness into light.
Living Hope Each Day
Happiness belongs to the one whose help is in the God of Jacob and whose hope rests in the Lord as God, and this calls those who are tempted over personal needs to depend on God, answer with gratitude, and exercise faith instead of unbelief. In times of danger and uncertainty that hope in God brings peace and confidence that the help that is needed will come. No one is to look to fellow men to learn duty, because no man stands in the place of God to another, since men are mortal and cannot save a soul or give help as the Lord God of Israel gives. Instead people are to go to the Lord for counsel and pray to Him for wisdom with heart and mind and soul, and He will graciously help in extremity.
God rather than human authority is to direct decisions and plans and to keep from wrongdoing. This means to cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils and to put no trust in princes or in sons of men, in whom there is no help, for mortal helpers die when their breath goes forth and they return to earth, and in that very day their thoughts perish, so they are not to be reckoned on. The house of Jacob is called to walk in the light of the Lord by trusting and hoping in God alone, especially when those who lead cause error and destroy the way. Workers in different countries must meet local needs wisely while depending on God rather than on human centers, because true help and hope rest in God and not in finite people whose nature is changeable.
The Lord is the ground of hope because He keeps truth forever, and this promise gives comfort when infirmity hinders activity, calling for trust in God and holding fast to His sure mercies and everlasting covenant. This happy hope belongs even to honest-hearted people in heathen lands who are upright in God's sight. For them light rises in darkness, and God delivers them and leads them by a way they have not known, making darkness light and crooked paths straight. Help and hope are in God and not in idols, for He frees those held captive and brings the honest in heart out of darkness.