Thursday, July 31, 2025

           David was responsible for writing many of the Psalms—including Psalm 20.  This shepherd turned king wrote, “Some trust in chariots and some trust in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7).  David certainly knew the importance of trusting in God.  He trusted God to protect him from the murderous threats and actions of King Saul.  He trusted God to protect him when he went into battle against the giant Goliath.  He trusted God to grant him victory against his enemies like the Philistines.  And he trusted God’s forgiveness in the aftermath of the whole sordid ordeal involving Bathsheba and Uriah.  David enjoyed a vibrant and living relationship with God—so much so that he was called a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22). 
            We can easily trust in any number of things—many of them unhealthy and even unworthy of our trust.  David identified two mistaken sources of trust.  First, he noted that some trust in chariots.  In David’s day, a chariot would have symbolized power and raw strength.  Possessing many chariots would have left an individual with a sense of unassailable muscle and force.  God wanted Israel to rely on Him as its defender, fortress and shield—more than the weapons that their hands had made.  God would go before Israel and protect His people if they would only look to Him and call upon His name.  For us today, we can easily and overly trust in material things that give us a false sense of security.  A large home, weapons for self-defense and a security system are not always foolproof.  They can fail us.  If we are part of God’s family, we rely on Him to keep watch over us and to protect us from those who mean us harm or even Satan Himself.  Our security rests in the Lord—we are His.  He does not forget or forsake us.  He does not lose sight of us.
            Spiritually speaking, the Lord is our strength as we fight against temptation.  Hebrews 2:18 gives us this encouragement, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”  We can be grateful for the Lord’s perfect and supernatural protection against Satan and the spiritual warfare that the enemy conducts against us.  Psalm 21:1 says that even kings marvel and rejoice over the strength of the Lord.
            The second source of trust that David identified is that some trust in horses.  In David’s day, horses, livestock and flocks would have been seen as sources of wealth and riches.  Even today, it can be easy to trust in wealth and what wealth can provide.  We can trust money, assets and the valuable things that we can accumulate in life.  But wealth can be lost or even squandered (consider the example of the prodigal son in the story that Jesus told).  Wealth can fall in value just as surely as it can rise.  Scripture consistently teaches us to trust the Lord and not wealth—to trust His hands and what they provide more than what our hands can make or earn. 
            David gave a warning in Psalm 20:8 that those who trust in chariots and horses “are brought to their knees and fall.”  That verse is the Bible’s way of saying that trusting in power and wealth is a shaky foundation and susceptible to failure.  Even in the history of our country, we have seen fortunes made and lost depending upon the strength or weakness of the larger economy.  In the opening of the beloved Psalm 23, maybe the most beloved and popular chapter of the Bible, we read that the Lord is our shepherd and we do not want or lack for anything.  So, we trust God for eternity and we can surely trust Him both here and now.  We trust God for everlasting life so we can trust Him with our lives today.  We trust Him to be King over the universe and we can trust Him to be our King and Good Shepherd too.  We trust not in chariots or horses.  We trust in the Lord.  Have a great Thursday!