Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - In God We Trust? | The Writings | Psalm 20

Episode Date: January 26, 2024

One of the most important questions you need to ask yourself is, "who or what do I trust?" Do you trust your finances, politicians, or yourself? In today's episode, Jeff discusses Psalm 20 and discovers how to get to the root of your trust. Read the Bible with us in 2024! This year, we’re tackling a group of Old Testament books traditionally known as “The Writings”— Psalms, Chronicles, Proverbs, Daniel, Ruth and more! Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter@TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: Psalm 20

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. In the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jeff Parrott. In the 1950s, four words spread throughout the United States like wildfire, intersecting with every person in America. Those four words weren't necessarily spoken by people's voices. They covered the United States in purses, in pockets, and in the vaults of local banks. What were those four words? In God, We Trust. A joint resolution from Congress in 1955 mandated that the phrase would adorn all American currency as it became the new national motto. The initial response to having In God We Trust on U.S. currency was mixed. Some people appreciated the thoughtfulness and the piety of the decision,

perhaps especially because those words served as a meaningful antidote to the one thing that many of us are inclined to trust, our wealth. Others responded to the congressional resolution critically. Some felt like this was religion encroaching on public life. Others simply found it ironic that those four words stamped on physical money left no real impression on the hearts of those who earned, saved, and spent that same money. The presence of these four words on American currency raised an important and ancient question for humanity. Who or what do you trust? This is the same issue raised by Psalm 20,

a Psalm of David originally written to prepare the people of God for battle during his reign as king. But over time, the power of this Psalm was clarified with greater depth and breadth. Instead of preparing God's people for a literal battlefield, it prepared them for the pressure cooker experience of exile. when the people of God aren't in the powerful majority, when life isn't comfortable, when their faithfulness is tested, who will they trust? Psalm 20 begins with a proclamation of faith in the presence and power of the Lord with His covenant people. Starting with verse 1, it says,

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress. May the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. Now, notice the verbs in these verses. God answers. He protects. He sends help and grants support. He remembers.

He accepts. The Lord, Yahweh, the maker of heaven and earth, is the main character in this Psalm, and his actions are relational, directed toward you and me. This fits the consistent repeated pattern of the song. Psalms as they reveal the relational nature of God with His people. And remember, these relational actions of God toward us aren't just generic. In Psalm 20, this is in the context of battle, of exile, when life is turned upside down. And we see this in verse one when David said, May the Lord answer you when you are in distress. So as we consider Psalm 20, let's just pause

and think about the ways that you experience distress on this day, in this week, or maybe in this year so far. Where do you experience distress? Where do you need to remember God's relational presence with you? That he is the living God who doesn't exit in the midst of exile. He answers, he protects, he sends help, he supports, and remembers and saves. We continue reading about the Lord's provision in verses 4. and six. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy

over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. Now this I know the Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. Now it's possible to pull these verses out of context and fall prey to a prosperity gospel that misleads people into thinking that God's greatest priority is for us to be comfortable or happy or wealthy or healthy. But notice here how the victory is not an our individual victories. It's not about us realizing our greatest dreams or even the American dream. If Psalm 20 is about trust, why does it bring up this idea of desire for us to contemplate?

There's a lot we could say here, but at a fundamental level, this issue of desire is important because disoriented desires fuel distorted trust. If my plans or desires are centered on a definition of victory that puts me at the center of attention, then I'll put my trust in things or in people that take me somewhere I'm not meant to go. Our cultural moment is saturated with a definition of victory that is centered on the self. But Psalm 20 could, couldn't be more clear. The victory here is God's. The celebration is over the victory of His kingdom, leading to praise in His name. So in exile, it's tempting to first ask, what is my desire? My plan, my request, my definition of victory. Psalm 20 offers us a different, better question

for living in exile, and that's this. What is God's desire? What is His plan? And how can the desires of my heart move with the grain of his kingdom? The good news here is not a gospel of our prosperity, but a gospel of God's reign as king. We don't trust in our small definition of victory, but in his greater victory on our behalf. This key issue of trust is brought to a climax in verses 7 through 8 as David presents God's people with a stark contrast. Pick up in verse 7. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. The mention of chariots and horses seem antiquated to us today, but to an Israelite in the ancient world surrounded by nations with military might, the allure of chariots and horses is significant. These are powerful forces that use technological advancements to provide an edge on the field of battle. By the world's standards, these are the vehicles to trust in for victory. Earlier in the Old Testament, God gives his people a clear warning about placing their trust in anything other than him, citing the temptation to look to chariots and horses. We read this in Deuteronomy 20, verses 1 through 4. God says this to his people. When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of

them because the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt will be with you. When you were about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say, hear Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be faint-hearted or afraid. Do not panic or be terrified by them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you victory. God knows that the allure of the world's power structures is real, and he's telling his people, don't just trust in my definition of victory. Trust in my plan to achieve that victory. Most of us today aren't tempted to trust in chariots and horses, yet we are tempted to trust in technology or politicians. We'll put our trust in a charismatic leader who has a well-defined plan to make things right,

or in a guru on social media with a new key to our happiness. Many of us even fall prey to the irony of those four words stamped on American currency. We'll say with our mouths that we trust in God, but our lives indicate that our greatest allegiance is to the bank account. First is 7 and 8 of Psalm 20 highlight the outcome of misplaced trust. Those who trust in chariots and horses are brought to their knees and fall. those who trust in the name of the Lord in his power and in his plan, they are the ones who rise up and stand firm.

Who or what do you trust? The word trust in these verses is interesting. The literal phrase in Hebrew for the word here reflects the notion of remembering or calling to mind. What are you prone to remember? What consumes your mind as the source of your trust? What is taking up residence in your thought life? Is there a person, program, a product that has your allegiance in the place of God?

Slow down to consider and confess the ways that you're putting trust in something other than God. Where do you want to transfer your trust to King Jesus? Psalm 20 ends with an assurance of God's victory through the king, says this in verse 9. Lord, give victory to the king. Answer us when we call. As God's people saying about the king's victory during exile, they sang about a future hope in the reign of King Jesus. Their trust looked ahead to his victory, believing that God's kingdom would come on God's terms. As followers of Jesus today, we look back to the finished work of Jesus on the cross and in his resurrection life.

And we see God's victory in its fullest form. And while we look back to see God's victory, we still share that future-oriented perspective of God. people in exile, we two wait for Jesus' return as king to fully and finally make all things new. Until then, we're a Psalm 20 kind of people. We bring our distress to him, hoping in his presence and power. We bring our desires to him, allowing and inviting his grace to reorient our plans and our purposes. And we place our trust in him, knowing that life in his kingdom is far more beautiful, far more meaningful than anything else.