WE REMEMBER THE LORD OUR GOD
--Psalm 20 (Text: Psalm 20:7)
“Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses,
But we will call only on the name of the Lord our God.”
[Translation: “The Psalter,” COMMON WORSHIP: SERVICES AND PRAYERS FOR THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, The Archbishops’ Council, 2000.]
If I could begin my ministry once more, there is only one major change I would make. I wish I could have made a career in the military chaplaincy. As far as I know, only one of my family, a cousin, served in the Armed Forces. Although the traditions of Memorial Day essentially honor the memory of those who have given their lives in defending our country, it has become a day to honor the memory of all our departed loved ones. I hold two memories from my youth connected with Memorial Day. Every year we would go to the cemeteries to decorate the graves of my grandparents, and every year our band would play at the Service conducted by the American Legion and the VFW.
Do you realize Memorial Day had its beginnings in Illinois? Carbondale’s Woodlawn Cemetery is included in the National Register of Historic Places. It is the final resting place of 330 persons including freed slaves and sixty veterans from the Civil War (http://www.dailyegyptian.com/fall00/10-10-00/ourword.html). On April 29, 1866, General John A. Logan, Commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, conducted the first Memorial Day Service in Illinois, and perhaps the first one in the entire United States, at Woodlawn Cemetery. He then was led to issue his General order Number 11 which declared:
The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of
strewing with flowers, or other decorating the graves of
comrades who died in defense of their country during the
late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every
city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land.
[--http://www1.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/history.asp]
Today we lovingly remember not only those who have given their lives for our Country in Iraq and Afghanistan but our loved ones Jesus has recently called Home to be with Him, and as Lincoln said at Gettysburg on November 19, 1863, “It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this” [--http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm].
The text the Lord gave me for today’s message is Psalm 20:7. Most modern translations render it:
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
But we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
The King James and the New King James Versions appear to be more accurate in their interpretation:
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
The English word “remember” in line two is a more accurate synonym for the original
Hebrew term. Psalm 20 and 21 might be described as twin Psalms. In Israel they
were acts of worship used by the Army before and after battle. Before engaging in
battle, the King would gather his forces at the Tabernacle or the Temple and Psalm
20 would be their prayer. After the battle was over Psalm 21 would be their Psalm of
Thanksgiving.
Catch the power and the faith behind the testimony of Israel’s Army as they all
declare:
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Under the leadership of King David Israel became the world leader of the Ancient World, because she “remembered the name of the LORD her God.” David was the one the Bible proclaims was “a man after God’s own heart; and, although he committed some horrific sins, he repented, sought God’s forgiveness, and was restored to fellowship with His God. He knew that his strength came from the Lord, that he was totally dependent upon God, and that he was helpless without Him, as he testifies in Psalm 121:
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
David led his Country by precept and example in total surrender and dependence upon the LORD.
Whenever Israel had leaders who were fully surrendered to the Lord as was David, God blessed her and made her a great nation. However, Israel did not always “remember the Lord her God.” Judges 8:33-34 tells us, “As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites relapsed and prostituted themselves with the Baals, making Baal-berith their god. The Israelites did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hand of all their enemies on every side. . .”
Whenever Israel forget the Lord her God, she suffered Divine judgment. There is a lesson for us as the United States of America to learn from Israel’s folly. God has given us an eternal truth in Psalm 33:12:
Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.
Solomon too is right on target when he declares in Proverb 14:34:
Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.
The United States has risen to greatness as a world power because our founding Fathers and Mothers “remembered the name of the LORD our God.” The testimonies coming from our men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan today affirm as well that they too “remember the name of the LORD our God” and are trusting in Him. God will bless any Nation that faithfully remembers and trusts in Him.
We have many happy memories of our loved ones we remember today, but above all else, we “Remember the LORD our God.” Only foolish people and nations trust in riches, military power, other people, for help and strength. David again is right on target in Psalm 118:8-9:
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to put confidence in mortals.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to put confidence in princes.
People will often reject us and let us down; but when we remember the Lord our God and put our trust at all times in Him, we will never be disappointed. We stand on the assurance of His promise in Hebrews 13:5-6: “Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” So we can say with confidence:
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?”
We remember today the faith, trust, and confidence our loved ones placed in
our Lord. They took refuge in Him. He was their helper, and so they were not afraid. He was their Fortress, their Rock, their Strength, and Shield, and their Stronghold.
Today He is all of these things for us and even more as well. Jesus promises and assures us in Matthew 22:31-32, “And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is God not of the dead, but of the living.” Jesus is our Living God, our Helper, our Good Shepherd, our Refuge, our Rock, our Strength, our Shield, and our Stronghold.
Recently I received an e-mail from a friend, a “forward, something I usually delete without reading, but this one I read and remembered. It is entitled “What a Wonderful Way to explain It,” and here is its story:
“A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, ‘Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.’
“Very quietly, the doctor said, ‘I don’t know.’
“‘You don’t know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?’
“The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, ‘Did you notice my dog? He’s never been in this room before. He didn’t know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing . . . I know my Master is there and that is enough”
[--http://prayerfullyseekinghim.blogspot.com/2005/09/death-what-wonderful-way-to-explain-it.html].
Remember, as He did for our loved one, our Lord is waiting for us on the Other Side. Therefore, this Memorial Day and always:
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
