Monday, April 27, 2026
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. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God. (Psalm 146:3-5)
The psalmist warns us not to trust in princes, that is, in earthly rulers. He gives several reasons to support his warning. Salvation cannot be found in earthly leaders. Eventually they will die and when they do, all of their plans and promises die with them. Yet many people place a great deal of trust in their favorite government officials. They vote for those who offer popular plans for improving their daily circumstances. People trust the candidates who make the promises they like to hear.
Yet the day will come when, as breath departs, that favorite leader dies. The elected official is buried—returned to the earth—often with great ceremony. The plans of that leader perish, along with many campaign promises that were never kept. Grand schemes for national or local improvements are left incomplete. The next ruler or official will likely have an entirely different lists of priorities, plans, and promises. For these reasons the psalmist warns us, “Put not your trust in princes.”
While warning us against misplaced trust, these psalm verses also remind us to hope in the Lord our God. There is one prince in whom we can safely place our trust, and that is the Prince of Peace, our Lord Jesus Christ. Earthly leaders will die and their plans will perish with them, but we trust in our Lord Jesus because He died! On the cross Jesus finished the work His Father sent Him to do. The Messiah fulfilled every promise made concerning His life, ministry, death, and resurrection. Jesus took onto Himself the penalty of death that we deserved for our sins. He yielded up His spirit as His last breath departed His body. He was buried in a tomb, a cave carved from the earth. Yet on the day that Jesus our Prince died, His plans did not perish. His death was the plan, a plan put in place before the creation of the world.
On the first Easter morning, Jesus rose from the dead. That too was part of the plan, and through that gracious plan of God we have hope and salvation. In Jesus we have forgiveness for our sins and the promise of eternal life. When Jesus returns, we will rise from death as He did. This is our sure and certain hope because our Prince keeps His Word. Hope placed in earthly princes may or may not be fulfilled, but we trust the Prince of Peace, whose promises never fail!
WE PRAY: Jesus, Prince of Peace, lead me to respect and honor earthly leaders, but to trust in You for salvation. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions: