"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God" (Psalm 20:7).

I recall singing a little chorus based on this verse way back in the late seventies when we started a church in northern Pennsylvania.  I recall a very enthusiastic lady in our church who just loved that song. I expect to see her and her husband in a couple of weeks and last time I saw her she had not lost her zeal for the Lord, although she is surely in her seventies by now.  Praise the Lord!

This verse is a great reminder of where the source of our trust should be. We do not trust in horses and chariots today and at first glance the phrase may make little sense to us.  But many do trust in what they stand for. 

Militarily many trust in the latest weaponry to assure us of safety and security, but really, nothing man does can protect us from evil men intent on bringing terror.  Economically many trust on the latest report from Wall Street or the Commerce Department, but real financial security is a pipe dream.  Medically it may be the latest wonder drug or medical procedure but we know there are many situations beyond the control of even the very best medical care. 

Our ultimate trust should always be in God.  Yet failure to trust God is so often at the very heart of our problems.  We place our trust in Jesus to be saved yet we must daily live in trust to experience the abundant, fulfilling life He has for us. 

Paul prayed for the Romans "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit"  (Romans 15:13). 

Are you living in trust today?  Some of you have a problem that's robbing you of the peace and joy that Christ provides.  I recall the words of a great hymn that speaks of God's peace, "they who trust Him wholly, find Him wholly true."  Let us trust Him wholly today!


Be encouraged today,


Stephen C. Weber
 
Brooksyne's prayer: Lord, for many the circumstances in life are so uncertain.  The solutions to our problems can be very perplexing and seem beyond our grasp.  There are many things about tomorrow that we don't seem to understand.   But we know Who holds tomorrow, and we do know Who holds our hand.*  Thank you, God, that You don't expect us to have all the right answers or to fully understand all that concerns us.  You simply want us to trust You as we hold on to Your unchanging hand while You go before us making our paths straight.  Grant us the grace to trust You more.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Here's an audio file of the chorus based on the daily text that we sang many years ago (although as I recall we used a different tune).

Psalm 20

* "Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand, but I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand" is a verse from the hymn "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow" written by Ira Stanphill.

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Yesterday I shared the link to an article that really shared a perspective of blessing. I want to excerpt here just a portion of the article that especially touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes.

The more we understand this world is not our home and the more we lay up our treasures in heaven, the more we will long for heaven and the more content we'll be to leave earth behind. God doesn't expect us to long for death-he does expect us to long for heaven.

Why waste your life trying to feel at home in a world that's not your home?

On my office wall hangs a beautiful painting by Ron DiCianni. It's entitled Safely Home. The painting portrays a man on his knees. His clothing is worn and tattered. He's walked down a long strip of blood-red entry-carpet that has led him to the foot of a throne.

The man's arms dangle at his side. He appears both exhausted and relieved, overcome with emotion. His head rests on the chest of one kneeling down to him, holding him tight in a loving embrace. The one hugging him has stepped down off the throne. It's the King, the Creator of the universe, who is also, incredibly, a man. King Jesus.

A few feet to the right are open shackles lying on the palace floor. The man had been a prisoner on earth. He'd suffered terribly at the hands of those who despised him because they despised his King. In his right hand, hanging limply to the ground, is a beautiful gold crown.

The man is a martyr. He has lived out Revelation 2:10 - he's been faithful unto death, and his Lord has given him the crown of life. To many, the single most important thing is the preservation of their life on earth. To this man, obeying his Lord was more important than prolonging his earthly life. He's one of those who "did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death" (Revelation 12:11).

In the background of Safely Home stands an angel, reverently watching, holding out in his arms a white robe. The angel is the man's guardian. In the stonework on both sides of the carpet walkway you can see the continents of earth below.

Several things strike me in this painting. One is heaven's view of earth below. Another is the look on the man's face, at long last freed from pain and persecution. But what really strikes me is the look on the face of King Jesus. He, too, is full of emotion. His face radiates compassion and approval. His nail-scarred hands, drawing the martyr to Himself, are silent testimony to the extent of His love.

The artist could have named the painting Well Done or Overcomer or No Longer a Stranger or something else. But he named it Safely Home. This man who has endured great suffering is safely home at last. The evil that pursued him in the Shadowlands can no longer touch him. He's forever beyond its reach, for between evil and the man stands the Lord of the Cosmos, the one who embraces him and says, "Never again will I let you suffer."

At the moment this is going on in heaven, I imagine down on earth a wife and children, perhaps a mother and father, a church of faithful believers. They're agonizing, understandably, over what has happened to their beloved one. At the very moment they're overwhelmed with grief, the one they mourn is overcome with joy. For he is home at last. Home for the very first time.

Randy Alcorn, Eternal Perspective Ministries, 2229 E. Burnside #23, Gresham, OR 97030, 503-663-6481, www.epm.org
(This website has many great articles online.)
The entire article is here. 

Here's an image of the work of art referred to in the article.