“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.”

Our ultimate trust must not be in the means we employ, but in the One whose blessing we implore. This is a very difficult balance. For on the one hand, though we cannot trust in our chariots and our horses, we must still prepare the chariots and horses for battle. And we must do so diligently. But on the other hand, we prepare in full recognition that the chariots and horses in and of themselves are not enough to bring us the victory. We need blessing from above. We need the Lord to act.

Preparation is vital. But so is the blessing of the Lord. We must be diligent to embrace both realities. For our tendency, it seems, is to embrace one or the other. No matter what the context, there are some Christians who so embrace the reality that God must act on our behalf (that we must trust Him), that they end up despising those who are diligent in training the horses and building the chariots (whether in ministry or any other context for that matter). But on the other hand, there are also many who build the chariots and train the horses without little regard for the blessing of the Lord.

It seems wise to act as if it all depended on our efforts, all the while understanding that our efforts are not the ultimate determination of our destiny. God must act. God must intercede. Our trust is ultimately in Him. We are wise to embrace both realities. And when we do we will work harder than almost anyone, but do so in a humble and dependent way. We will fight with our best chariots and horses, but in full recognition that we cannot win the battle on our home. In order to rise and stand upright, our trust must be in the name of the Lord.