Mensa Otabil - Trust in the Name of the Lord

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Trusting God makes our lives very vulnerable. When you trust somebody, you put your weight on that trust. If you trust a chair, you put your weight on it, and if it doesn’t hold you, you’re down. So many times, when we have to trust God, we wonder if there is any other safety outlet if this doesn’t work. Psalm 20, verses 7 to 8, say some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They have bowed down and fallen, but we have risen and stand upright.

So the question is, where is your trust? Some trust in horses, but where do you put your trust? Have you been in a situation where you felt totally inadequate, like going for an interview and seeing the other people being interviewed? They probably have better education, are better dressed, present themselves better than you, and seem more credentialed than you. Everything seems to be against you; they have all the horses and chariots on their side, and you just look at yourself and wonder if you can face it.

Then you go for that interview, and in spite of the fact that these people seem far better than you, you get a job or a contract. Why? Because when we trust in God, our faith in Him overrides the horses and chariots of men. Trusting in God puts you at an advantage, and so the Bible urges us not to put our confidence in the arm of flesh. There is a place for horses; there is a place for chariots. That entails getting all the right preparation and credentials to qualify for what you’re doing. There is a place for that in the battles of life. We need to be prepared; we need to work hard, but our trust should not be solely in our hard work. Our trust is that, yes, we’ve worked hard, we’ve prepared, and we are ready for it, but God is the one who gives us the victory.

So the Bible warns us about placing our confidence only in our horses and chariots. You know that in the days when this psalm was written, a nation’s greatest weapons of war were their chariots and horses. Those were their ammo, tanks, and jet fighters at that time. If you had many of them, then you were guaranteed victory. But the writer of the psalm says, yes, there are people who are better equipped than us, but our trust and confidence are in the Lord. So don’t be intimidated by how many horses and chariots people have; be confident in the God you trust, and He will give you the victory in the most unlikely and unpredictable outcomes. When everybody has determined who is going to be successful, God will give you success. It will shock you, it will surprise you, it will amaze you, but it’s because the name of the Lord is your strong tower. You trusted in His name, and you are saved.

Don’t put your trust in man; don’t put your trust in horses; don’t put your trust in chariots. Put your trust in the name of the Lord and never limit God because of your own limitations. You may be limited, but He is unlimited. So I believe He will give you that victory; He’ll give you that breakthrough; He’ll give you that favor, and you’re going to come with a song of victory because you trust in the Lord.

Pastor Mensa Otabil, shalom, peace, and life to you.