Reading: Psalm 33:12-22
Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage. The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all humankind. From where he sits enthroned he watches all the inhabitants of the earth-- he who fashions the hearts of them all, and observes all their deeds. A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save. Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. Reflection “A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save.” Today the psalmist boldly claims that everything we thought we knew is false. It’s common sense that the greatest kings are great because they have big armies. It's common sense that the greatest warriors are great because they are strong. It’s common sense that the best animal to take into battle is the mighty war horse (or at least it was when the psalmist was writing). But the psalmist says that an army can’t save a king. Wait what? Strength cannot save a warrior. Huh? The war horse is a vain hope for victory. Come on now. What is the psalmist getting at? The psalmist is drawing our attention back to the one thing that can offer of salvation: God. The king’s army might give him power, but it cannot keep him from death. The warrior’s strength might get her through the battle, but she will still die eventually. A swift warhorse might win you victory, but it cannot save your soul. Ultimately, the only hope that we have does not come from anything in this world but from God alone. And the good news is that our God is trustworthy. Our God delivers the soul from death, the psalmist writes. Our God keeps us alive in the famine. Our God is our help and our shield. So place your hope not in earthly things but in God alone. --Jim Vitale Prayer Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. Amen.
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