Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
(Psa 20:7)
You have probably heard this verse before, but have you ever given much thought to what is being talked about. Chariots and Horses were instruments of war… in a sense they were the most sophisticated assets to national defense that existed in those days. The tanks and war-machines of the day, they were, from a human perspective, the deciding factor in any battle; whoever had more would be victorious.
Today we can be the same way… putting our trust in homeland security, or feeling safe because of the defenses of our country… these things are really nothing in and of themselves. Everything man creates will fail at one point or another… Horses and Chariots landed the Egyptians at the bottom of the Red Sea; and trust in the Lord got the Israelites safely to the other side.
It reminds me of a passage from Jeremiah:
Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
(Jer 17:5-8)
So, what do YOU trust in? Not in theory, but in practice. What are you relying upon, what are you looking to provide for your needs, and strengthen you in your weakness? Some will look to horses; some will look to chariots; but as for me… I’ll put my trust in the LORD my God.
3 comments:
Many times in the book of Psalms David talks about his enemies, and asks for God's help to deliver him from them. Does he mean his spiritual enemies, or his earthly enemies in battle and war? This is something I have always wondered.
Sharpest Tool... GREAT QUESTION!
In the majority of cases, David is talking about PHYSICAL HUMAN ENEMIES; the chiefest of these enemies being King Saul. These people were not enemies because David had decided they were enemies, they were men who chose to fight David, and in so doing found themselves fighting against God.
Now, about the idea of "spiritual enemies"... We need to remember that BEHIND these evil men and their actions, is the greatest enemy of all, Satan. So in a very real sense, it was deliverance from the works, plans, plots, and schemes of the devil that David sought most of all.
When it comes to us today, most of us aren't locked in any "physical" battles, but me may find that we have "enemies" none the less. For us, we are simply called to love them, and to leave justice and judgment in the hands of God. David set a great example for us in this way by not killing or harming Saul with his own hands, even when circumstances made doing so VERY EASY.
Sharpest Tool, I hope that answers your question.
Thank you! Yes, that does answer my question. It is something I have always wondered since the first time I read something in the Psalms.
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