Unlocking the Power of Trust

Blog by Gem Fadling

I exhaust myself sometimes. The flurrying thoughts that run through my brain paired with the unhelpful expectations I place on myself and others can really wear me down.

I recently caught myself in one of these thought whirlpools, and almost immediately I heard a phrase of scripture in my mind:

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7)

This sentence was a knock on the door of my heart, so I went to Psalm 20 to read it in context. I had a feeling the Holy Spirit was trying to help me with my flurry.

Psalm 20 

¹ May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
    may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
² May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and grant you support from Zion.
³ May he remember all your sacrifices
    and accept your burnt offerings.
⁴ May he give you the desire of your heart
    and make all your plans succeed.
⁵ May we shout for joy over your victory
    and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

⁶ Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They are brought to their knees and fall,
    but we rise up and stand firm.
⁹ Lord, give victory to the king!
    Answer us when we call!

When I first peruse a passage of scripture, I like to notice the verbs. The action words help me to sense God’s presence. In the first four verses, these verbs stand out: answer, help, grant, remember, accept, give, make.

Sometimes my heart needs to be reminded of God’s activity so I don’t feel so alone. I don’t need to do an extensive word search for more meaning. I can simply take the verbs at face value and allow them to wash over me. God’s loving action calms me. Reading these words, I could feel myself take a deep breath.

But then in verse 7 we come upon the verse that leapt into my mind earlier: Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

I don’t currently own any chariots or horses, but I do tend to trust my own devices and activities (my own horsepower, so to speak) to help me make my way. That is, until I hit a wall of anxiety, exhaustion, or overwhelm. I don’t think I’m alone in this. Does this sound familiar to you as well?

The invitation for me was to lay down my trust in that which is other than God and to return my gaze to him. I do, in fact, trust in the name of the Lord my God. So I made the internal pivot and it helped.

It’s not always this easy. Sometimes I’ve dug quite a hole for myself, and it takes a bit to make my way back to the surface. But on this particular day I simply needed a holy redirection and an inner shift.

I wonder if it might be good to look at verse 7 and replace chariots and horses with some of the ways we might misplace our trust. Let’s try on a few:

Some trust in degrees…

Some trust in productivity…

Some trust in relationships…

Some trust in finances…

Some trust in fame…

Some trust in being right…

Before we leave ourselves in this trusting-something-else place too long, let’s properly finish these phrases Psalm-style by reminding ourselves:

But we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

For the regular, everyday types of wavering we do, we can simply pivot back to this reality. Yes, there are likely larger issues of trust that are ongoing in your life, and for that I hope you have the support you need. But sometimes we just need a reminder and a turning of heart and mind.

What would be on your own list of relationships, circumstances, and dynamics that cause your trust to waver?

For Reflection: 

• Make your own list that begins with “Some trust in ______________...” Be honest about the places where you struggle.
• Notice which people or circumstances might simply require a pivot back to God in the moment.
• If you noticed something deeper and more ingrained, what support might you need to move forward?
• Ask God to help you as you make your way.