May 2, 2023 — Psalm 20 

“The Lord answer you in the day of trouble! The name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion. May he remember all your offerings, and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices. May he grant you your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your plans. May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand. Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.  They will collapse and fall, but we shall rise and stand upright.  Give victory to the king, O Lord; answer us when we call.” Psalm 20 

 “The 20th psalm prays specifically for emperors, kings, princes, governors, and all those who sit in any seat of authority. The psalm prays that God would grant them grace to rule peacefully and well, giving them good fortune and victory over their enemies. For wherever good earthly order is established by the reason and power of governors and princes, people do not earnestly and heartily pray for them. So that people might pray for them, the psalm declares that only the greatest fool, totally blind, would presume to rule land and people out of his own head.” (Martin Luther, Reading the Psalms with Luther) 

“Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses; but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.” What are the things we turn to, as people of the 21^st century, that take us away from a closer relationship with G-d? We do not have chariots to take pride in — though some do take pride in their horses, or dogs, or other animals. And though the chariot may have been a form of transportation, whether for battle, or for pleasure, we do have our cars, boats, airplanes, etc. — those things that bring us pleasure. The Psalmist was surely thinking of the battle chariot — the means of transportation for battle. For us, as a major military might in the world, we may take pleasure in the number of nuclear weapons we have verses other countries. The danger here is the thinking that our military might may reduce our need for G-d when it comes to fighting battles. 

Do you believe that G-d is just as powerful and just as much in control in this the 21st century as G-d was in the time of the writing of this Psalm? Again it takes discernment to see G-d’s actions and activity in the world around us. G-d has not lost power — we have just ceded too much power to other voices and other powers. Take time each day to speak to G-d – to ask G-d for answers — and to listen for the voice of G-d. G-d cares so much for the children of G-d that no request is too small, and no child too unimportant to be heard and to receive an answer. 

What an amazing God we have!  

Prayer: Thanks be unto You, O God, King of kings, because You have granted a good and a free government to our land. What You have given graciously preserve to us and our children. And grant that the civil liberty that we enjoy may remind us to seek that spiritual and everlasting freedom which is found alone in the kingdom of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Amen. 

Pastor Dave