Psalm 20

May 15, 2009

I was spending time in the Word and digging into Psalm 20. It "happened" to be the current chapter in a devotional I am working through. I have recently been in a struggle over something "good" and feeling frustrated, angry and disappointed. As I have cried out to God He answered through these verses:

Psalm 20
May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!
May He send you help from the sanctuary
And support you from Zion!
May He remember all your meal offerings
And find your burnt offering acceptable!
May He grant you your heart's desire
And fulfill all your counsel!
We will sing for joy over your victory,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.
Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.
Some boast in chariots and some in horses,
But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.
8They have bowed down and fallen,
But we have risen and stood upright.
Save, O LORD;
May the King answer us in the day we call.

God desires to hear our cries and He desires to answer them from His throne on high. The courts are in session and you are invited to kneel before His throne and give over to Him all your plans and desires. He will lean down, take your hand in His and lead you in the path He has set out before you. Instead of feeling defeated, know that in His name we have victory!

As an application I challenge you to rewrite this Psalm in your own words as a prayer to the Lord. This was how I rewrote it...

Psalm 20 rewritten by Annie:
Lord, answer me in this day of trouble!
May your name, God Most High, secure me.
Lord, send help from heaven and support from Zion.
I pray my offering is acceptable to you but I know
nothing compares to the sacrifice you gave for me.
Make your desires mine and fulfill them in your time.
I will wait joyfully for victory,
in your name I will put all confidence.
Hear my prayers and answer please!
I know you have saved me, you will answer me from on high
and your right hand will strengthen me.
I reject man's understanding and strength-
I boast in you and your name alone.
Others bow to man's agenda and fail-
I will rise up and find success in you!
Lord, save and hear me today!

Helpmate

Ladies:

As a student of God's Word and a desire to grow into the woman He created me to be, I thought it would be helpful to share a little insight into a common verse heard by wives around the globe. The text notes and translation that follow are from the Net Bible.

Genesis 2:18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. 55 I will make a companion 56 for him who corresponds to him.”

56 tn Traditionally “helper.” The English word “helper,” because it can connote so many different ideas, does not accurately convey the connotation of the Hebrew word עֵזֶר (’ezer). Usage of the Hebrew term does not suggest a subordinate role, a connotation which English “helper” can have. In the Bible God is frequently described as the “helper,” the one who does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, the one who meets our needs. In this context the word seems to express the idea of an “indispensable companion.” The woman would supply what the man was lacking in the design of creation and logically it would follow that the man would supply what she was lacking, although that is not stated here. See further M. L. Rosenzweig, “A Helper Equal to Him,” Jud 139 (1986): 277-80.

57 tn The Hebrew expression כְּנֶגְדּוֹ (kÿnegdo) literally means “according to the opposite of him.” Translations such as “suitable [for]” (NASB, NIV), “matching,” “corresponding to” all capture the idea. (Translations that render the phrase simply “partner” [cf. NEB, NRSV], while not totally inaccurate, do not reflect the nuance of correspondence and/or suitability.) The man’s form and nature are matched by the woman’s as she reflects him and complements him. Together they correspond. In short, this prepositional phrase indicates that she has everything that God had invested in him.

You are your husbands indispensable companion. You are a match and a complement to him. It truly is a partnership that requires both of you to participate and without each other your marriage is lacking. While you cannot control your husbands role you can chose to be available to your mate by being his companion and supporting him where you see God has designed you to fit. If you are having trouble seeing where you fit in the marriage ask God to reveal it to you! Seek and find, knock and the door will be opened.

Happy Sunday!
Annie