With a
single verse in mind from an ancient poet-songwriter, perhaps not unlike
himself, Steven Curtis Chapman wrote something about idols and the real God in
1994. From some idols that his ancient predecessor mentioned (including a chariot,
symbol of military virility, shown here), Steven added two others to the list
of false gods, ones that should speak to ancient and modern ears alike when he
penned “We Trust in the Name of the Lord Our God”. You could probably add even
more, if you’re honest with yourself. But, would your response to counter the
influence of that idol be the same that the centuries-old poet and his 20th
Century brother voiced? And, would your reply be as consistent as these poets’
replies, when the lure of the idol seems so strong?
The
32-year old Steven Curtis Chapman’s precise reasons for writing ‘We Trust…’ are
unknown, yet we can say with some certainty what one factor was. Steven was
reading a bible, and focused on a verse from a very old song. The song is so
old, that none of us know the matching tune for the accompanying words, but
that didn’t seem to matter to Steven. Psalm 20, written by King David, has a
pedigree that Steven thought was enough for him, and so he focused on verse 7’s
words, using them as the centerpiece of his own first verse. Two idols,
chariots and horses, occupy the opening line, while the title words about
trusting instead in the ‘Lord Our God’ comprise the second half of the verse.
That title encompasses the only response that Steven needed to cap his own song’s
message. What did a chariot mean in David’s time? When one army might have
relied upon foot soldiers, another had a faster, better-protected weapon for
infantry assaults – the horse-drawn chariot. Want to successfully menace your poorer
adversary, take some of his territory and enrich your own domain? Upgrade to
chariots. It’s the military bully who might look across the border, and so make
one people cower. That chariot is the bully’s lynchpin. That is, unless the
other side has God in their corner. That was a reality for David and his
minions, probably something to which this poet-king had grown accustomed after
years of running and hiding, and then eventually taking on his enemies head-to-head.
It was a pattern that Steven must have observed in his own bible study - -that
God is a constant source of refuge, the reliable response to trouble. Or, especially
when some might advise a leader to put stock in a chariot, one should trust that
the supernatural Protector hasn’t lost His edge. Sure, He might provide you
some better tools to use here on Earth, but don’t forget who the Provider is.
Do you and
I trust in our vocations, or maybe our built-up wealth more than in His
presence? That’s a blunt question that Steven might ask you and me, if you read
the verses he penned and imagine a conversation with him. Steven and David say it’s
a matter of ‘trust’. Who gave those military men the know-how to make a
chariot? Who created the horse? Who made the world, where jobs are a part of
most people’s daily lives to make the world function in an orderly way? Do you
and I make money because we’re inherently wise and worthy of pay, or do we owe
Him the credit for our minds and abilities? You and I know the answers to these
questions, don’t we? Steven reminds me who’s at the root of everything good in
my life. He’s not a secret, or at least He shouldn’t be.
Read about
the author of the song here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Curtis_Chapman
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