God trumps my smartphone
By Jessica Brodie
I’m a journalist, so I drive a lot for work, and I’m always finding myself headed for some really weird, unusual, never-heard-of-it destinations.
I’m old enough that when I was a kid we had to use actual maps to get around. Early in my career I’d print out directions from MapQuest before I’d hit the road. Now my thumb just taps the Map app on my iPhone and it takes me where I need to be.
Yep, I love technology. Instead of 50 “don’t forget” sticky notes or constantly having to erase, cross out or make a new master to-do list, now I use a great app called Wunderlist that keeps all my tasks in order. I can even share the list with my husband if I want to. It’s right there on my iPhone, and the coolest thing is it syncs with my laptop so I can stay organized no matter where I am or what I’m doing.
But here’s the thing—these things fail me sometimes. Usually my Map app takes me exactly where I need to be, but occasionally I can’t find the address, or it takes me to the address, only it’s such a rural area that somehow it’s not correctly in the system, so I’m stuck driving in circles until I find wherever I’m looking for. A couple of times I’ve been rushing and accidentally deleted my to-do list or checked off an item prematurely, then I’m all in a tizzy because I’ve allowed myself to trust this imperfect, human-invented system that I’m suddenly fully aware is an imperfect, human-invented system.
Today’s Bible verse is a really good reminder of this. In Psalm 20, we are cautioned, “Some people trust in chariots, others in horses; but we praise the Lord’s name” (Psalm 20:7 CEB).
God created this world. God is the one in control. God is the one who can save us when all is lost. God can carve a path for us out of nowhere. He can part the Red Sea and make an old woman’s womb become fertile. He can raise from the dead our savior who died on the cross.
Chariots and horses might get us more quickly from Point A to Point B and make our lives easier. They might help us win battles or streamline our farming needs. Likewise, smartphones and other technological advances might make it easier for us to do ministry with people across the world, get us safely around town and help us do our work better.
But at the end of the day, we praise God. God can do all things. Apps fail and horses fall, chariots crumble and phones break. But God never changes. God never fails.
So use horses and chariots, sure. Use technology, sure. But that is not where our trust should lie. Our trust, our love, and our prayers are for God and God alone. Let’s remember that.