Boasting in the Name of the Lord (Psalm 20 Devotional)
“Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord.” – Psalm 20:7
How often do we boast in the name of the Lord? Obviously in church we do. It’s the place for it. But in the rest of the week, are we boasting in the Lord? If we are honest, most of us would say, not very often.
Why? Well, we live in a culture where it’s not very politically correct to talk about God. Recently our church did a video that asked the question, “Do you think it’s arrogant to say that there is only one way to God?” People gave us an earful. Many had a twisted view of God if they had any view at all, but all agreed that saying there is only one way to God is the height of arrogance. And no one wants to be seen as arrogant.
So many people took a “broader” view of religion. The overriding viewpoint, if they could articulate it, was something like this, “There are many paths to the top of the mountain. They can’t see each other but all lead to the same place.) (Which incidentally is also a very arrogant and narrow view. What they are essentially saying is that religious systems can’t see any path but their own, but the person making that claim can see all the paths at once and can see that they all go to the same place.) They see exclusive claims of religion not just as arrogance, but ignorance as well.
But when we read the words of Jesus, we realize the many exclusive claims He made about Himself.
He said, “I am the way, the truth and the light.” And He said that the wide path led to destruction, and that the way to God was narrow. If those claims were made by anyone other than Jesus, they would be laughable. And it wouldn’t just be arrogant, but maniacal. But Jesus, in full understanding of what He was saying, made the most narrow-minded, mutually exclusive, statement ever breathed. “No one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Why? Because He knew it was true. He knew these claims would mean His eventual death on a cross. But He also knew that these were the very words of life that would lead many to salvation for millennia to come.
If we know something to be true it is not arrogant or narrow-minded to share it. It’s not arrogance or narrow-mindedness for my first grader to say that 2+2=4. It is not arrogant or narrow-minded because it’s true.
Perhaps an analogy would help. If you had a fatal disease and a doctor knew that there was only one cure, it would not be arrogant or narrow-minded for him to offer to you that cure at the exclusion of all others. It would be gracious. And it would be foolish to offer any other cure. It’s not about the doctor at all. It’s about the cure.
We are not arrogant when we share Jesus’ exclusive claims. It’s not about us, it’s about the ultimate cure. We hold these truths, these treasures, in jars of clay, the Scripture says of us. We are not boasting about the jars. We’re boasting about THE Truth-Jesus Christ. As we boast about our Lord and Savior, we are sharing with people the way to eternal life. We are patients who were terminally ill but found a cure, and desperately want to share that cure with all who need it.
Questions for Thought
How do you think Christianity makes exclusive claims?
What about other religions or philosophies?
What causes you to be shy about sharing your faith?
