Dave's Diary

Daily Reading: Psalm 33

¹⁷ A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
    despite all its great strength it cannot save.
¹⁸ But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love …

²⁰ We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
²² May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.

At about the time this Psalm was written, a major shift in warfare was unfolding. Instead of using horses only to pull chariots into battle, soldiers were beginning to ride them into battle. The horse rapidly became a fearsome weapon of war. Those who mastered their use were almost assured of victory against an army not yet utilising them. Having a cavalry meant you could joyfully expect a victory every time.

But Psalm 33 called its reader to remember that even the horse is subject to the Creator who designed and formed it. Any power it had was given to it by the One by Whose word all things were created (v.6-9). It was wiser by far to put one’s hope in the LORD, the Creator of the Universe, than in any created thing. This is particularly true when one knows (as we do) that one is loved by Him with merciful, unfailing, steadfast, covenant-keeping love, and that His eye is on us in love.

When we are in a challenging situation, it can seem better and wiser to trust in our own skills, in the latest technology, or in other visible, tangible resources than to trust in the LORD. But Psalm 33 calls us to put our hope in the LORD and His unfailing love for us. It calls us to wait for the LORD – for His guidance, His word, and His deliverance – trusting in Him as our help and shield, and only when He has guided and empowered us, to act accordingly.

As CH Spurgeon wrote, “If the strength of horses be of God, then trust not in the strength of horses: use the strength of horses, but do not trust the strength of horses.”

Lord, I entrust myself to You and Your unfailing love this day, and I joyfully anticipate that You will guide and empower me to overcome every challenge I face. Amen.