Psa 33:16 “No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.”
[A king and a warrior may be saved and escape in battle but large armies and great strength are not the deciding factor–God is.
–I think of the huge multinational army that came against King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. He turned to God for help and God caused the enemy soldiers to turn on one another and destroy themselves.
–I think of the great army of Assyria that came against King Hezikiah and how the Lord put to death 185,000 of them in one night (2 Kings 19:36).
–I Think of David versus Goliath, and of Daniel versus the lions.
–Then there is Paul, attacked and beaten by the Jews at the temple, but God sent the Roman commander to save him.
In each case the deciding factor is not might or size, but God. So it is with us, Lord, for we are weak and vulnerable to powerful forces around us. But we can and must turn to you for help, rather than looking to the puny powers of this world.]
Psalm 33:17 “A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.”
[In David’s days a horse was the strongest weapon available in battle, the most powerful military means, but it was not enough to deliver. The rider needed help from God, or he was doomed.
So it is with us: technology, machines and weapons are available, but they are just tools, useless without you. Your plan is stated in Zechariah 4:6, “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty.”
You, Lord, are the Ruler, the Decider, the Helper of all who turn to you. “My salvation and my honor depend on God. He is my mighty rock and my refuge” (Ps. 62:7). We must turn first to you: “This poor man called and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles” (Ps. 34:6).]
Lord, forgive me for first looking for help in the wrong places: my own efforts, people, professionals, possessions, money and machines. Help me instead to call out first of all to you. Then deliver me in such a way that you get the glory and that all around me will see that it is your work, not that of mere human beings. Thank you now for how you will answer this prayer in all that is to come.
