BETTER THAN A HORSE

Psalm 33:17-21 NKJV 

17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; 

Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. 

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, 

On those who hope in His mercy, 

19 To deliver their soul from death, 

And to keep them alive in famine. 

20 Our soul waits for the Lord; 

He is our help and our shield. 

21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, 

Because we have trusted in His holy name. 

A bit of an unusual title to this devotional until we look at the verses in context. A horse was considered one of the top strategic weapons of the day. Warriors on horses or in chariots were a distinct advantage in ancient warfare. But these verses paint a different picture. 

Verse 17 can also read that a horse is a false hope for safety. So, a horse may give a fighter an advantage, but there is something or other someone greater than the delivering strength of a horse. 

Verses 18-21 reveal the advantage greater than the horse. The Lord is looking out for those who fear and reverence Him. He is looking out for those who hope in His mercy, not the horse. 

God is not passively looking on those who fear Him. He is not ambivalent toward those who hope in His mercy. He is there to deliver their souls from death and to keep them alive in a famine. Delivering His people from death and famine is a testament to His power and ability. A horse may or may not be able to get people out of a hot spot, but no horse can deliver his master from famine. So, with all due respect to the horse lovers out there, horses are great, but God is greater. 

David then describes why we are looking to the Lord. Waiting on the Lord is not passive but an active expectation from Him. Not waiting to see if God will do something but an expectant trust that He will. God is a help and a shield for those who look to Him. He helps when the strength of man and horses fall short. And He is a shield, or protection, to those who trust in Him. 

It had to be easier to put trust in horses. They were usually big, strong, and powerful. And they were visible. Whereas trusting in a God who is not visible would take a real step of faith especially when facing a battle. A horse would be a comforting sight. But God is unseen, and yet He is still present. 

And so hearts are rejoicing in Him because there is trust in His holy name. Notice the rejoicing is a result of trusting. There is trust that God is the help, shield, and deliverer. So there is rejoicing in who He is. 

APPLICATION 

It's an easy, natural thing to put our trust in what we can feel and see. The challenge is that what we feel and see does not always have the ability to help and protect us. We don't typically have to depend on horses to save and deliver us. But we can look to people, money, power positions, and our own abilities. The list can go on and on, but in the end, our God is bigger, better, greater, stronger than any force or power that we can look to. 

PRAYER 

Lord, I look to You more than anyone or anything. I trust in You and rejoice in who You are and Your great power towards me.