Psalm 20 English Standard Version
Trust in the Name of the Lord Our God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
20 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.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Esteemed and Exalted Above All Others
God alone created the universe and claims us as his own.
God alone is the holy and perfect One whose name is above all names.
No other name should ever be so highly honored.
God is also the only one who loves us perfectly.
God alone cares for us and provides for us each day.
God alone is always faithful and always keeps his promises.
The first five verses of this Psalm begin with a blessing from David illustrating His complete understanding of where his true strength, victories over sin, and everything his heart could desire came from. (See also Psalm 23 and Psalm 27)
Often times we are prone to forget this.
If we are in trouble, do we call out to the Lord for help?
If we are weak, discouraged, depressed, or overcome by our circumstances of life, do we call out to the Lord for help?
How well do we recognize that because of the Lord’s great love for His true saints, He is always available to help and guide us in the way we should go?
Verses 7 and 8 not only express confidence in God but they also emphasize our identity as the children of God.
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who trust in the name of the LORD and those who don’t.
We are the kind “who trust in the name of the LORD our God.”
Or again, there are those who “collapse and stay fallen” under chariot wheels and those who “rise and stand upright.”
We rise and stand upright because that is the kind of people we are as children of God and devoted, steadfast followers of His anointed one, namely Jesus.
In David’s day chariots were a mark of great strength and power.
Those going into battle with a fleet of chariots and horses had a significant military advantage.
They combined high speed, strength, durability, and mobility that could not be overcome by ground infantry—and yet, even all of this might was as nothing compared to “the name of the LORD our God.”
Isaiah 40:27-31 New American Standard Bible
27 Why do you say, Jacob, and you assert, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
And the justice due me [a]escapes the notice of my God”?
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives strength to the weary,
And to the one who lacks might He increases power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who [b]wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will [c]mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
Our efforts to understanding this passage from Isaiah 40:27-31, will prayerfully brings us to an amazing encounter with that glorious testimony of David found in Psalm 20 verse 7.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
What things do we as Children of God in this 21st century turn to instead of turning our faces unto God?
We may not have chariots, but we certainly do not have any difficulty trusting in the many forms of transportation we have in our day: cars, boats, vans.
I suppose, however, the Psalmist was really thinking of military strength.
What then do we trust in militarily, by force of arms?
It seems as though this world is on a thirst quest to see which country can own, control the most farm land, energy resources, mineral rights, nuclear weapons.
Does that mean that God is obsolete?
God is just as powerful and just as much in control in this the 21st century as he was in the time of the writer of this Psalm!
Please pray today that God would surround you with an increased awareness of His constant presence and peace, and that you would cry out to Him for help.
Only God cares so much for His children that no request is too small, and no child of His is too unimportant, too unworthy, for Him to hear and answer.
What an amazing God we have!
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Praying ….
God Sustains His Servant.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
40 I waited [a]patiently for the Lord;
And He reached down to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of [b]destruction, out of the mud;
And He set my feet on a rock, making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.
4 How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And has not turned to the [c]proud, nor to those who become involved in falsehood.
5 Many, Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is no one to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.
6 You have not desired [d]sacrifice and meal offering;
You have [e]opened my ears;
You have not required burnt offering and sin offering.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
It is [f]written of me in the scroll of the book.
8 I delight to do Your will, my God;
Your Law is within my [g]heart.”
9 I have proclaimed good news of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
Lord, You know.
10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your mercy and Your truth from the great congregation.
11 You, Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
[h]Your mercy and Your truth will continually watch over me.
12 For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My guilty deeds have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has [i]failed me.
13 Be pleased, Lord, to rescue me;
Hurry, Lord, to help me.
14 May those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my [j]life to destroy it;
May those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight [k]in my hurt.
15 May those be [l]appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
16 May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
May those who love Your salvation continually say,
“The Lord be exalted!”
17 But I am afflicted and needy;
May the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my savior;
Do not delay, my God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 