Horses and Horsepower

Recently I watched the 1969 version of TRUE GRIT on AMC. John Wayne just can't be beat! As I watched this great western, I watched as the character portrayed by Glen Campbell (the Rhinestone Cowboy)shoots the horse out from under the bad guy. I remember thinking, "don't you know that PETA would have had a field day with this movie!" Then later on in the movie, John Wayne's horse is shot and falls on the Duke, leaving him just out of the reach of his Winchester. Of course, he is able to retreive his gun and shoot the bad guy as well as get out from beneath his fallen horse. After watching the movie and totally enjoying dreaming about being a cowboy, I turned over to ESPN to watch the 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the race where modified Porsches are driven by Indy, Grand Prix, and NASCAR drivers for a 24-hour period. I must admit that being a cowboy is still a dream but so is being a race car driver!As I watched, I saw one driver stall his car in a curve because his clutch went out and then couldn't start it because his battery had died. His chariot had failed him.

In this adventure from horse to horsepower, I found myself reflecting on my recent reading in Psalm 20:7. The passage in the NIV reads "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." The Duke and the bad guys in True Grit trusted in their horses. The professional race drivers were trusting in their chariots and their horsepower. Both ended up in predicaments that indicated failure. Fear, disappointment, and many other emotions prevailed. I could not help but think about the many horses and chariots I have had in my life in which I have placed my trust. Relationships, paychecks, vehicles, toys, selfish desires, all of which had led me down a path of disappointment. The Psalmist once again reminds me to place my trust in the name of the Lord. If I could trust just the name of the Lord, is it possible that I could also trust the Lord Himself? The answer is a big YES! Lord, help me to not put my trust in horses or horsepower or things that I could label as such, help me trust You completely, wholly,and with the understanding that it is You that works for the good of all things of those who are called according to your purpose. Thank you for being such a God that just with the mentioning of your Name, lives are transformed!