Dec 2 - Psalm 20:7-8

Some nations boast of

their armies and weapons,

but we boast in the Lord our God.

Those nations will fall down and collapse,

but we will rise up and stand firm.

Psalm 20:7-8

"Boasting" is a bad word in today's vernacular. It's prideful. It tends to be excessive and self-focused. It's basically "talking trash."

But in a more old world sense, "boasting" is "expressing confidence in something." A runner may express confidence in his ability. A fan may express confidence in his team. A police officer may express confidence in his bullet-proof vest. And a soldier may express confidence in his king or country.

But today's Psalm reminds us that there's really only one true thing worth expressing ultimate confidence in. David says essentially, "we [should only] boast in the Lord our God."

As an athlete ages, his boasting fades. When a pass is dropped, the fan turns fickle. What if the criminal aims not at the bullet-proof vest, but the police officer's head? And even strong "armies and weapons [and] nations [occasionally] fall down and collapse, but" -- as the Psalm goes on to say -- [those who boast and trust in the Lord] will rise up and stand firm."

In Christ's Love

an appropriate boaster