Psalm 20 // False confidence and true trust // Denise Petek
We all face battles. Some are visible and public, while others are quiet and personal—relational tension, health struggles, financial pressure, exhaustion, grief, or fear. No matter how they appear, battles have a way of revealing what we truly rely on.
What do you do when trouble comes? Where do you turn first—before the situation is resolved, before clarity arrives, before relief is in sight?
Psalm 20 speaks to that very space. It is a prayer offered before the battle begins, not after the victory. It is not a song of celebration, but a prayer of surrender spoken in uncertainty. The people of God gather not to boast in strength, but to acknowledge their dependence on the Lord. What a beautiful picture.
“May the Lord answer you when you are in distress…” (Psalm 20:1). From the very first line, the psalm names reality: distress exists, danger is real, and human strength alone will not be enough. The Lenten season is the perfect time to reflect on where we have become self-sufficient and to bring our vulnerability honestly before God. Transformation begins not with control, but with surrender.
Throughout the psalm, the people intercede for their king, asking God to protect him, remember his offerings, and grant the desires of his heart. The king’s confidence is not in strategy or numbers, but in the Lord who receives sacrifice and gives help.
When trouble comes—and we know it will—we often instinctively reach for what feels familiar and reliable. But not all confidence is the same. False confidence rests in our abilities, experience, resources, or plans. It can feel responsible and wise, yet quietly replace our dependence on God. True trust rests in God’s character rather than our own strength. Psalm 20 invites us to examine where our confidence truly lies.
The heart of this invitation is captured in one verse: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7).
Chariots and horses represented military power—symbols of speed, security, and strength. Trusting them was sensible. Yet the people of God make a countercultural confession: our trust is not there. False confidence may feel secure, telling us that if we plan enough, prepare enough, or work hard enough, we can control the outcome. True trust does not dismiss these things, but it recognizes that it is God who saves—and His plans are often unexpected and better than anything we could imagine.
Psalm 20 speaks confidently even before the battle is won: “Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed.” This trust is rooted not in circumstances, but in relationship. Surrender is not passive resignation; it is placing our plans, fears, and future in God’s hands while still walking forward in obedience. True transformation begins when we loosen our grip on what we once depended on and rest in God’s faithfulness.
The psalm closes with a hopeful plea: “Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!” The people ask boldly—and then they wait. They trust God with both the process and the outcome.
Transformation requires surrender—not only of obvious sins, but also of the subtle sources of self-confidence we rely on instead of God. Psalm 20 reminds us that true victory is not simply winning the battle, but learning where our trust truly belongs. And when we surrender our self-dependence, we open ourselves to the transforming work of God.
A Question to Consider
Psalm 20 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” What are your chariots and horses—the things you rely on for security, control, comfort, or identity apart from God? Where might God be inviting you to loosen your grip and practice true trust this Lent?
Prayer Prompt
Ask God to reveal the chariots and horses in your life—the habits, plans, resources, or patterns of control you lean on instead of Him. Name them honestly before the Lord. Offer them as an act of surrender. Pray for the courage to release false confidence and grow in true trust. Ask God to meet you in the waiting and uncertainty, and to transform you as you rest in Him alone.
