Psalm 146: Relying on God

Verse 5: 

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.

The Bible is composed of two pillars (themes). These two are not separate entities but are identical in that they are human experiences and confessions about God. One is about who God is. Each book of the Bible echoes the voice that God loves all creation. The other is about how then should one live and interact with God. If the latter is Christian life and ethics, the former is the doctrine as a confession of Christian faith. John 3:16 is recommended as the verse that best summarizes these two themes in a nutshell: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." This verse speaks of the two themes while carrying one direction. If it is doctrinal that God loves people and gives them eternal life, it is ethical to trust (rely on) God. In this respect, if Apostle Paul has a strength in explaining the doctrinal aspect like interlocking gears, the Gospel of John excels in presenting images and evoking nuances (especially John 17 is the best image). There are places in the Old Testament like the Gospel of John. It's the creation of heaven and earth in Genesis. Among them, the scene where God breathes life into man is the best. This scene and Jesus' prayer in John 17 perfectly match.

Psalm 146 encourages readers to live relying on God. The poet asks the readers, who have been coming along for a long time in history, 'Are you living trusting in God?'.  Relying on God tends to be a bunch of slogans and wishful thinking. If you decide to rely on God and live, it is never easy. That's why countless sermons throughout history have converged on the theme of 'trusting and relying on God', but they couldn't conclude with one era or a few sermons. To speak more honestly, people cannot live relying on God. God's grace comes to this ultimate confession. There, the great flow and direction of the Bible are completed.