**We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfill all thy petitions.** Psalm 20:5
Why do we raise a banner? For a celebration? In a parade? To cheer on our favorite team to the next victory? To mark a monumental conquest, like landing on the moon and placing our country´s flag there?
In this Psalm, I think David is setting up his banners as a celebration and a marker/reminder of what God has done for the nation of Israel. Making it visual helps to cement the victory in their mind.
Can you think of any other pictures of this?
The Flag that was raised at Ground Zero by the Firemen that worked tirelessly to save whoever they could on that horrible day? It is forever ingrained in our minds, no?
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima?
Can you think of other banner raisings that we have as a picture or model of an important event?
Psalm 20 is about landmark moments. Have you ever done something like that for your family to mark a major victory?
In a recent post, I talked about our family´s praise dances. We never raised a banner that I remember but we did try to make those answered prayers memorable.
Do you have a tradition that cements these moments in your family´s mind, like David did?
Psalm 20 is short but full of the blessings that David spoke over his people. Verses 1-4 encourage us that God is with his people to defend them and that He hears their prayers. He also is ready to give us the deepest and best desires of our hearts.
These are all reasons why the Psalmist is rejoicing in the salvation of God from his enemies. His day to day affirms his faith , he sees the answers to his prayers and he remembers how God defends him and those he cares for.
When our faith is placed in a God worthy of our trust over and over again, our faith grows and God is able to give us greater challenges to that faith. This is a beautiful and divine circle that grows our faith.
Setting up a banner, or some sort of landmark or tradition that helps to seal God´s faithfulness in the minds of our children can only help their understanding that God cares about what happens to them. It will lay a solid foundation in their hearts of knowing that they can call on Him for all of their needs.
So, raise your banner and rejoice as David did!