Ready, Set, Gone

The message at church this week really resonated with me. Well, to be more accurate it sort of hit me like a two by four to the heart! It was about leaning on our own understanding. I am sure I am not the only person who tries to “help” God. How many times do we sprint off the starting blocks before we take time to slow down and inquire of the Lord about a particular circumstance?

Truth be told we are surrounded by a society that practically pushes us to be independent. It’s as if asking for help shows an unacceptable weakness. We are heralded as victors when we press on, determined to pull ourselves up by our boot straps. The truth is we were never born to be independent. The Bible tells us that we are made to be dependent on God.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:5-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15:4-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So why do we find ourselves so easily drawn away from His guidance? The answer is because our enemy is subtle and has worked a long time to weave independence into the fabric of human society. It becomes “normal” to go through our days without asking God’s input in our decisions. I know I have sometimes found myself at a particularly stressful place trying to make complicated decisions and realizing I am stressed because I am relying on myself. God didn’t just send a Savior He also reestablished the covenant He made with man which gives us access to His answers, His wisdom and direction. We don’t have to try and figure things out on our own. We just need to lean on Him.

Consider the events of your day, was there something that happened where you quickly made a decision without asking God what He thought? He is a loving Father and He wants to provide for us guidance that will bring blessings into our lives as well as pouring them through us into other people’s. Be slow to launch of the starting blocks and take time to ask God for His input. Whether it is in your workplace, as you parent or just as someone crosses your path today slow down and seek Him and see what amazing things He will tell you.

““Thus says the Lord who made it, the Lord who formed it to establish it (the Lord is His name): ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭33:2-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬