August 21 - Trust in the Name of the Lord Our God

By Audrey Bauman

Psalm 20  (ESV)

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
     May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
     and give you support from Zion!
3 May he remember all your offerings
and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah

4 May he grant you your heart's desire
     and fulfill all your plans!
5 May we shout for joy over your salvation,
     and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!

6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
     he will answer him from his holy heaven
     with the saving might of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They collapse and fall,
     but we rise and stand upright.

9 O Lord, save the king!
     May he answer us when we call.

A phrase in the Bible that has often caught my attention is “right hand”.  It’s used in verse 6 where it is referred to as “the saving might of his right hand”.  It’s also in another verse that has been a special one to me for many years.  Isaiah 41:13 "For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you." (NASB)   I looked that phrase up in a Bible dictionary*, and found these definitions. Sometimes it is used as a sign of a pledge; other times it is a sign of power or authority. It also indicates a place of honour in heaven. In this psalm and the verse in Isaiah, the power definition is the one that fits. 

What do you rely on in difficult times?  When I am honest, I have to admit that I often look to a variety of sources for strength.  I count on family to help me with advice or practical help.  I count on my church family, especially the small group that I’ve been a part of for a few years. I count on my own intelligence to figure things out.  I count on the advice of some mature wise people I know.  I might read a self-help book – made better if it’s written by a well-known Christian author. I count on experts in whatever area I’m concerned about. Sometimes I just hope for some “luck” to solve the problem by chance.  

I really have to ask myself how much do I count on my Heavenly Father for the strength to deal with the issues life brings?   How much do I give Him credit when things turn out well for me? Sometimes I’m surprised at comments made my husband used to make. He’d say he was looking for a parking space near the hospital and someone pulled out right where he needed the space; he said he was praying for a space and God answered his prayer.  Or he’d say he was praying that God would help him find his keys, and God answered his prayer.  I find myself being amazed since I likely wouldn’t pray about such mundane things or expect God to care about those kind of things. 

There have been things that have happened that I definitely give God the credit for.  I do “sing for joy” and “set up the banners” openly about what God has done.   My husband’s miraculous cure from cancer in 2010 was certainly one of those times.  To his doctors and anyone who asked, we stated firmly right up front that this was God’s doing entirely – and his doctors nodded since they couldn't explain it. I'm so thankful God gave him 8 more years before He took him home.

But on so many other things – stresses that tend to bog me down, problems where I volunteer, my own aging health issues – do I really count on God for strength or on my “chariots and horses”?  

Do I pray with the confidence you see in Psalm 20? Do you pray with that confidence?

*Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words – W.E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, William White Jr.   Thomas Nelson Publishers   1980"

Our song for today is Way Maker by Leeland.

Here is a challenge that you can take if you have time. The chart is asking you to look for what is said in Psalm 20. 

Think of someone you know who you would like to pray for. In the left hand column, list the requests that are made for and by David. In the right hand column of the chart, adapt those requests to a person you are praying for.  For example, the first request is that God will answer when David is in trouble.  For the person you have chosen, you may ask God to help them in a specific area of difficulty that you know about – such as, for wisdom in knowing how to handle a problem at work.