We are all living in God’s story (some have commented that history is actually ‘His-story’) and have a crafted part to play in that story (see Psalm 139, Jer 29:11). At the same time, we are not the centre of the story, for only God deserves that place. So often, we forget this, and either imagine ourselves to be more important than we are or despair because we feel inconsequential and unimportant.
Psalm 146 rightly roots us in praise to God (Ps 146:1-2) and reminds us of the futility of trusting in mortal help (Ps 146:3-4). Human beings – no matter how rich and powerful they may seem – have a limited lifespan and their help is temporal. God’s help, however, is eternal and powerful. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them (Ps 146:5-6); He is the One who reigns forever. (Ps 146:10)
We may not know where we are in God’s story (in terms of our own lifespans or in terms of the stage of the story from God’s point of view), but we are called to trust and to praise at all times. The God of Jacob – that schemer whose encounter with God left him with a permanent limp and a new name, Israel – is our God too ‘for all generations’. (Ps 146:10) That relationship becomes the anchor for us as we live out our role in God’s story.
