Thought for the Day 10/06/21 - Don't trust a horse ...

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Here's a Thought for the Day big shock announcement ...

I have to be very careful around horses.

I don’t get on with them … or rather, they don’t get on with me.

There have been some exceptions over the last fifty years or so. 

There were a couple of rare Eriskay horses living in a field across the road a few years ago. 

Apparently it’s a proper working breed of no-nonsense Scottish horse from some wind-swept island bred to carry loads of harvested seaweed up the cliffs from the … beach, I guess.

I was warned they would nip me but we got on like a house on fire and they never did … we had time for one another.

But most ‘lovely’ horses? They seem to hate me.

Cattle I can make a connection with. 

Sheep too … no problem!

Horses? 

No connection there. 

No understanding at all!

Let's see, though if I can't make a connection with the psalmist over horses ...

Making a connection with the Psalmist

You see, Psalm 20:7 at first sight seems like a verse WRITTEN for me!

“Some trust in chariots

and some in horses,

but we trust in

the name of the Lord our God.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭20:7‬

 Confronting the Day of Trouble

 

Psalm 20 is a psalm written for ‘the day of trouble’ (v. 1)

Specifically it seems to be about trouble in the land and the prayer-needs of God’s chosen King when conflict threatens.

But the principle issue is this one in verse 7 which relates to where God’s faithful people put their trust in times of trial.

 

Where do you really place your trust?

Chariots and the horses that pulled them represented the most powerful of all assets in Ancient Near Eastern warfare.

But the Kings of Israel were specifically prohibited by the terms of their covenant with the LORD, their Great King, from building up large numbers of horses and chariots … and by implication from depending on them for their deliverance rather than on God (Deuteronomy 17:16).

Ultimately, the strength of the King lay in the strength of His God and not in the strength of a horse!

The Point

The enemy standing arrogant and tall trusting in their chariots and horses ... representing human might and power ... were going to bow down and fall in military defeat, says this psalm.

The faithful, now bowing before God in the worship of God, would be lifted up and ultimately stand upright in victory.

The Takeaway

If we are believers we need to keep a close eye on where we are daily placing out trust, in fact and in practice ... because the temptation to put our trust in created things rather than our Creator God is insidious, invasive and sneaky.

Let’s renew our faith in God today. 

And tomorrow. 

And every day. 

And be sure to keep the things we actually trust in on our personal watch list.

Some do trust in the modern-day equivalent of horses and chariots.

MANY do.

They're all around us and their influence on us is strong.

But that isn’t living in the way Scripture calls faith … and it’s through faith that we are justified and strengthened and lifted up by our God.

If any of this raises any issues for you, please reach out to us using the contact form below, and we would be delighted to pray for you.