CONFIDENCE IN GOD
Opening Prayer
Lord, thank You for being there when I need You.
Read PSALM 20
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
5 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.
6 Now this I know:
The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power 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 are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times” (Martin Luther, 1483–1546).
Think Further
This psalm is one of confidence: confidence in the God who answers, protects, supports and delivers. The setting for the psalm presents King David and his army about to go to battle. In verses 1–5, the congregation asks for God’s blessing upon David (the “you” is singular throughout). Then, in verses 6–8, David declares his certainty of God’s answer and subsequent victory, after which the congregation concludes with a brief prayer (9).
This is not a messianic psalm but probably a trajectory of sorts into the New Testament. In other words, we can perform a Christian rereading of the psalm. God provided humanity with the greatest victory of all time when Christ defeated Satan, sin and death. As Christians, we can call on the name of Jesus for salvation, victory and help in time of trouble. He is our Champion and we share in his victory. As the writer of Hebrews states, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16).
Calling to God in times of trouble is a basic, yet profound, spiritual practice. What use is a god who is incommunicado? People need a god who can hear, who is aware, who is concerned, and who is able to help. The God of the psalmist is such a god. Suppressed by their Egyptian overlords, an enslaved and suffering Israelite nation calls out to God for 400 years—and he rescues them. In many psalms, the writers call out to God for deliverance—and he delivers. Their experience can be our experience: our God is both able and willing.
Apply
What do you want to ask God for? Be assured: he knows, hears, answers, and acts. Self-confidence is helpful but never sufficient; our confidence is in our Creator God.
Closing prayer
Lord, my trust is not in chariots, horses, or money but rather in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.