In the following verse, Judah is invaded, Jehoshaphat orders the people to fast in order to seek the Lord. He recognizes their success is dependent on God’s help and direction.
2 Chronicles 20:12: "O our God, wilt Thou not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on Thee."
Read who David relied upon when slaying the giant:
1Sa 17:45 Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.
Asa did good in the sight of God and commanded Judah to seek and observe the laws and commandments of God. The land of Judah was at rest until a battle was sought against them. Asa immediately cries to God for help and protection.
2Ch 14:11 Then Asa called to the LORD his God, and said, "LORD, there is no one besides Thee to help [in the battle] between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in Thee, and in Thy name have come against this multitude. O LORD, Thou art our God; let not man prevail against Thee."
Ps 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him.
Work hard – to know God! Depend on His call to your heart for direction. Rely upon his help. Trust Him with absolute confidence, He will support your desire to follow Him.
Joh 6:44 "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
Joh 6:65 And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father."
Laborious effort for personal success is just hard work for things that are insecure and ultimately unsatisfying and fleeting. However, arduous labor rooted in dependence on God produces eternal results. God’s expectations are clear.
Joh 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.
God’s help is complete and always points to success of a higher degree, a promise of life everlasting.
Php 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
2Co 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
1Pe 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to [obtain] an inheritance [which is] imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Dependence seems to support the idea of being weak. Yet, Dependence on God proves strength. Whoa! Isn’t that opposite of the world’s thinking majority? Yes it is!
Phil 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
What is the life you want? What are your plans? Is your confidence secure? If ‘self’ is anywhere embedded in the answers to these questions then a look at our human limitations is needed. Notice the wording: the life you want, your plans; your confidence. God’s plans for your life will come to fruition whether or not you’re on His team.
Read what the Apostle Paul writes: Ro 7:18-23 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
Paul has personal knowledge of sin’s war in his life. He also understands the solution to his problem.
Ro 7:24-25a Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25a Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Back to our story of self-dependence. Where does it lead? Would you rather walk on a road that is unsteady, corrupt, and in ruins? Or the road carefully laid down for you, out of love, by Your Savior? Dependence upon God will never disappoint.
Joh 3:27 John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing, unless it has been given him from heaven.
Continuous help from God is needed. Steady maintenance in our soul is needed from the sustainer of our soul.
Ps 40:17 Since I am afflicted and needy, let the Lord be mindful of me; Thou art my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God.
Ps 54:4 Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
Excellence is of God alone.
Ec 7:20 Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.
Isa 12:5 Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things; let this be known throughout the earth.
God wants us to live the life He has given us, to follow the plan He has set for us and to exude confidence in His work. Then, humble hearts will cause us to be thankful for who we are, Who God is and what He has done. Our heart, our dreams, and our confidence is complete in Christ. 100% guaranteed, irresistible and perfect satisfaction!
Responsibilities that seem overwhelming will cause us to grow in trust rather than run into the world’s quick and temporary solutions. Our identity, fulfillment and hope will be supported in God’s flawless plan rather than our weak efforts. Our hope for the future will be wrapped up in God’s perfect design. There is no chance of man’s sin ruining God’s purpose. He will use everything for His glory. This is true success.
Complete Dependence – Absolute Confidence – Redeemed Hearts – Rescued Dreams – Perfect Trust.
