Horses and Chariots

Where are you going to get your strength from today? I know many of us have the stock answer "God", but how often is it truly true? I have to admit that I'm far too often likely to look to other things instead: a good night's sleep, a little alone time, an effective workout, a balanced budget, a productive day, some well-behaved children, another cup of coffee, or maybe hope of a coming spring...

When I first started studying through Isaiah, I read those passages about putting your trust in idols made by human hands, or the horses and chariots of your allies, and thought, "Oh, well of course that's pretty stupid." And then, of course, I had to immediately consider how "stupid" I can be on a daily basis. We certainly don't have any room for horses or chariots (or anything of good size) in our condo. I don't talk to wooden statues, or look to their help to get through the trials of my day. But I still have horses and chariots and idols in less taking-up-space-in-my-living-room forms. Idols aren't just things we love more than God, things we spend more time on than God. Idols also include the things we look to for strength when we should be looking first to God. When things are tight financially, I get strength from adding up all the figures in my head one more time, just to make sure (that I'm in control). When I'm wiped out from an afternoon of disciplining rowdy children, a little "me time" and a good cup of tea or coffee provide comforting respite. When the to-do list is growing, I get my satisfaction and energy from being able to plow through it in a good day of hard work. When the winter blahs are pulling me down, I long for the arrival of some warm air and the little green buds on the trees.

But the thing is, these chariots don't hold up. Rather than getting real strength and hope for the trials of this life, I get the temporary illusion of being in control, the short-lived peace of pretending the kids are somewhere else, the frustratingly brief knowledge that all my tasks are completed, or indulgence in my dissatisfaction with the wintry circumstances of life.

And realizing how futile these earthly comforts and controls are makes these verses (also from Isaiah) all the more precious:

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock." (26:3,4)

"For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.' But you were unwilling, and you said, 'No! We will flee upon horses'; therefore you shall flee away; and, 'We will ride upon swift steeds'; therefore your pursuers shall be swift. A thousand shall flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you shall flee, till you are left like the flagstaff on the top of the mountain, like a signal on a hill. Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him." (30:15-18)

"The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is Zion's treasure." (33:5,6)

Where are you going to get your strength from today? I pray that even if I do enjoy that cup of coffee, balance the budget, accomplish my tasks and maybe eke out a little quiet time by myself with a good book, that I will not be looking to these puny horses for my day's strength, but to the Gracious One who is our peace, our rock, our rest, our salvation, our wisdom, our righteousness and the stability of our unstable times.

"But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." (40:31)