"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God." Psalm 20:7.
When King David wrote Psalm 20, he wrote it to be sung as a declaration of God's faithfulness and saving power at any time, but especially in times of war. This Psalm and verse are very appropriate at this time in history because we are in a spiritual battle of the ages!
In Psalm 20:7, King David instructs the people to never trust in the chariots and horses they rode into battle, but rather to remember the name of the Lord our God. Remembering implies we must trust in God and His divine ability to save and overcome any enemy. God had done it many times before when they didn't have much of an army. Yet God gave them victory after victory. Remember the Jewish nation as they left Egypt and were chased by Pharoah and his army. They were a reasonable distance ahead when they stood before the Red Sea.
Then in the distance, they heard the thundering hoofs of horses and chariot wheels. Imagine the fear that gripped their hearts as they wondered what would happen next. They decided to remember the name of the Lord and prayed. Exodus 14:10 affirms that. "And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord."
Moses also remembered the name of the Lord God, prayed to Him, and was directed in what to do. Here is the account of that in Exodus 14:13-16.
"And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." 15 And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."
They remembered and called on the name of the Lord, and what happened? God delivered them miraculously! We serve the same God, and now every disciple of Jesus Christ has access to Him through Jesus's throne of grace. We need to do what they did when we hear the thundering of spiritual horses and chariots chasing after us. Remember and call on the name of the Lord and trust He will fight for us!
Unfortunately, many Christians today trust in things that make us comfortable only in this life. Whether rich or poor, sometimes we get distracted and look more to life's little comforts for rest and confidence instead of to God. Those things represent the horses and chariots David wrote about in Psalm 20.
We must remember, we are in a constant spiritual war with an enemy who never lets up. The only way to win spiritual conquests in this spiritual war is to trust in the Lord our God. Revelation 12:11 says, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."
After living through the last couple of years, we all know the world around us can change rapidly and without warning. If we trust anything besides God our Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, we will be rattled, rolled, and spiritually ransacked. Has that happened to you or anyone you know? If so, God calls us to get on the right path, His path!
So let's take a little time right now and refocus our trust in and on God. Let's take our eyes off the calamities in the world around us and praise God for who He is, what He has done, and what He will do! Let's praise God for our salvation through Jesus Christ and the other promised heavenly blessings we can access at His throne of grace.
Let's take some time to thank God and proclaim to Him; You are my strength, my hope, and my peace! Proclaim Jesus Christ is Lord as the child of God that you are. Proclaim it in faith and trust in Him and Him alone! Then, as Moses prayed at the Red Sea and received direction from God, pray to the Father in Jesus' name. Ask Him, What should I do as I march forward as a soldier in your spiritual army? Proclaim Romans 8:37 as you defy any fear in your life. Say it out loud, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Then ask God to use you to rescue the perishing lost souls and to proclaim liberty to the captives as Jesus did. Amen!
Let's close with the verse we started this devotional with and say it as a spiritual declaration. "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God." Psalm 20:7.