Confidence in Present Help

Psalm 20:6
Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

Thought:
The psalm shifts from prayer to confidence: “Now know I…” This is faith speaking with settled assurance. The Lord saves, the Lord hears, and the Lord strengthens.

This verse first applies to God’s anointed king, and ultimately to Christ; the Anointed One. In Gethsemane and at the cross, the Father heard the Son. The answer did not always come as deliverance from suffering, but as power through it. Because God heard His Anointed, He will also hear all who are in Christ.

Two great truths stabilize us in the present:

• God is attentive – Our prayers rise to “his holy heaven.” In Christ, our prayers are purified and welcomed before the Father.
• God is mighty to save – The “saving strength of his right hand” is active even when we cannot see it. His power is not distant; it is engaged for our good.

We may not feel strong, but our confidence is not in our grip on God; it is in God’s grip on us. The Savior who was heard in His hour of agony is the Savior who now intercedes for us.

Prayer:
Gracious God, thank You that You hear from Your holy heaven and that Your right hand is full of saving strength. When I cannot see what You are doing, help me trust that You are still working. Let my confidence rest not in what I feel, but in what You have promised and proven in Christ. Strengthen my heart today with the assurance that You hear and You save. I ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.