The LORD looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do. The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory – for all its strength, it cannot save you. But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine.
We depend on the LORD alone to save us. Only he can help us, protecting us like a shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we are trusting in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.
Psalm 33:13-22Psalm 33:13-22
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
13 The Lord looks at the world 14 from his throne in heaven, and he watches us all. 15 The Lord gave us each a mind, and nothing we do can be hidden from him. 16 . Mighty armies alone cannot win wars for a king; great strength by itself cannot keep a soldier safe. 17 In war the strength of a horse cannot be trusted to take you to safety. 18 But the Lord watches over all who honor him and trust his kindness. 19 He protects them from death and starvation. 20 We depend on you, Lord, to help and protect us. 21 You make our hearts glad because we trust you, the only God. 22 Be kind and bless us! We depend on you.
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Today I just want to remind you that your hope is in Jesus. Whatever is going on in your life today, Jesus is the one to turn to. We can echo with the Psalmist, We depend on the LORD alone to save us. Only he can help us, protecting us like a shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we are trusting in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone. We can cry out and ask God to be near, knowing he will be faithful. We can encourage each other to trust Jesus, knowing that his name has power.
There are a lot of alternatives. Not good ones, mind you, but common.
Like trusting in those around us. People will fail us, where Christ does not. God encourages community. He encourages family. The body of Christ, the Church, was his idea. But none of these are a replacement for him. If we trust in these to give us meaning, to complete us, to fight our battles for us or protect us, we are putting our trust in the wrong place.
Or like trusting in our own strength. We each know that one day our life will be over. We aren’t promised the next day. And our circumstances can change – a change in the economy, a call from a friend with a need, a bad mood for an unknown reason. If we are trusting in our own skill or power to provide, eventually we will end up short. God made us, he knows our strengths and he knows our weaknesses. And his ability to provide is so much greater!
Or even trusting that “big-ticket” item. Not necessarily a purchase, rather that item that receives our attention, that becomes an idol. Like a girlfriend/boyfriend or spouse that displaces God, or even just the constant craving for that significant other. When we put our trust in this kind of relationship to protect us and give us value, we are bound to be broken eventually. God gives meaning to our relationships, and relationships distant from him are less than what he desires them to be.
Other big-ticket items? The job that we pour ourselves into – consuming our time and energy and waking thoughts. Or that special hobby that consumes our imagination and restricts our time. I’m not saying any of those things are bad in themselves. Scripture says the one who does not work to feed his family is worse than an unbeliever. God has given us interests and gifts that require developing, that he can and will use. But our trust can’t be in those things. Our hope for the future can’t rest on them. Our hope rests in God’s power, the power displayed in Christ’s resurrection and the power that continues to be displayed in our lives today.
That is what Paul is pointing out in Ephesians 2. We have nothing to boast in, we have nothing that gives us true hope and peace, except Christ. It was always God’s plan to point us to Christ. He is our life blood, the life blood of the community of believers. He is strength that does not fail, when all around is crumbling.
So I offer two challenges today. First, pray, telling God that you want him on the throne of your life. That’s where he needs to be if you want to grow strong, becoming more like Christ. Second, encourage a friend with the fact that Jesus is Lord. Send a quick email or make a phone call to remind someone that we serve a God who is powerful, whose name speaks of the greatness of his love and intentions toward us. Remind them that you are there to support them, to always point them to Christ, and that you are looking to them to do the same for you.
…Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.
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