I've Got This! (?)

He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ [Deuteronomy 8.17]

God has NEVER cared much for man's strength, imagination, or ingenuity. In fact, man's abilities most often separate him from God.

Until we stand before God with the attitude that "I can accomplish nothing on my own," then we will never know the fullness of the power of God. And, even if there was a demonstration of God's power, our minds, all too often, reason that it was somehow tied to human effort - thus robbing God of the glory that belongs to Him.

"Self-sufficiency" is a trap. While it is a good practice to NOT depend upon man for anything, it can also become a dangerous snare that entices us to think "we can do it on our own."

Nothing but faith pleases God. While obedience seems like it should make God happy, it only does so as it yields to faith. In other words, all the obedience (to laws) in the world does not save a human soul. That which saves a human soul is the obedience of faith. Why? Because obedience to laws is, in actuality, the result of human effort - in contrast to the obedience of faith that trusts in Christ's work alone.

Any time that any man would say, "I've got this," he has come up short in calculating his dependence upon God. As popular as it is in modern culture to achieve independence, it is a grave disease upon faith in God.

So, how does God typically deal with man's independence? Manna. In the wilderness, God stripped Israel of any ability to provide for themselves so they might trust in Him alone. But it wasn't just manna. Israel's deliverance from Egypt was entirely beyond their own capacity - thus the opening scripture passage above.

As the nations of the world consider current world events with the prospect of a third world-wide war, God's Word is clear that He will be glorified only by the nation that refuses to rely upon itself or man for justice and instead calls upon Almighty God for deliverance. This applies to Ukraine as well as any nation that would come to their aide.

May we all flee our thoughts of self-sufficiency and humbly fall before God in decided and absolute dependence upon Him!

Father, forgive me for my ingrained self-sufficiency. Forgive me for thinking I have accomplished anything on my own. Forgive me for taking glory that is Yours alone for myself...