The political fatigue that afflicts many people in Indonesia today is not just a boredom with the news or public figures, but a mental exhaustion due to repeatedly betrayed hopes. Promises of change feel fragile, the system disappoints, and some people choose to withdraw, either with apathy, such as "just run away first" abroad, or neglected mental health struggles. It is in this setting that Psalm 146 speaks honestly and loudly, "Do not trust in the nobles, in the son of man who cannot bring salvation" (v. 3).

The Psalmist dismantles the illusion of "nobles", not just rulers, but anyone or anything we think can guarantee the future. He calls them ben adam or sons of men: mortal beings who return to dust. Furthermore, in verse 4 the psalmist emphasizes that human failure is not always due to evil, but rather due to existential limitations. When lives are lost, plans are lost. Social disillusionment often arises because we place high expectations that seem divine ’ on human beings who are inherently fragile.

In contrast, the psalmist calls "blessed" (ashre) those who hope in the Lord, the God of Jacob (v. 5). Happiness here is not a feeling of pleasure, but rather a solid state of life, as it rests on God who is faithful in a covenant relationship. In the midst of shaky systems and an uncertain future, true security lies not in political stability or privilege, but in who is the source of our help when the world feels like it is crumbling.

The psalm closes with a stark contrast, of man returning to the land, but God creating the land and reigning forever (v. 6 & 10). It is thus clear that God favors the hungry, the oppressed, the alien, the fatherless, and the widow, those who are often overlooked by the system.

Friends of the Bible, hoping in God does not mean being passive, but rather being called to make the value of the Kingdom of God tangible. Disappointment is a sign that our reliance needs to shift: from mortal man to faithful God, from despair to concrete acts of love.