Horsepower and Grace
Thursday’s Verse:
From Psalm 20:7 ESV
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
If Psalm 20 were written today, it might say, “Some trust in bank accounts and some in 5G signals, but we trust in the name of the Lord.” Same idea, just fewer horses.
It’s easy to lean on what we can see and measure. Strength, money, plans, connections. None of those things are bad. They’re just not built to carry the full weight of your hope. Chariots break. Horses tire. Even the best plans hit potholes.
God doesn’t ask you to pretend those things don’t exist. He simply invites you not to treat them like your savior.
In Lutheran terms, this is where grace cuts in. Your standing with God isn’t powered by your effort, your success, or how well you’ve “got it together.” It rests on Christ alone. Fully. Freely. No backup horse required.
So go ahead and make plans. Work hard. Use what you’ve been given. Just don’t hitch your heart to it.
Because at the end of the day, your confidence isn’t in horsepower. It’s in a name. And that name doesn’t fail.
✝️ A Prayer for Today:
Lord God, send Your Holy Spirit into my heart so I trust in You always. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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