‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD ... But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.’ (Jeremiah 17:5, 7)
The average Christian doesn’t find it too hard to turn to God for help or strength in times of crisis. Where most of us get it wrong is in failing to come to him for these things day by day, in the ordinary (dare we say it? – monotonous!) routine of life, when things just keep ticking along. But even here – especially here! - God wants us to derive our strength from him. For it is in the ordinary things of life that we show God that we are resolved to depend completely on him – which, after all, is what the Christian life is meant to be all about.
In fact, the Bible has some rather strong words for those who call themselves God’s people, but who don’t depend on God (but rather on themselves) in the reality of everyday life. What a contrast this is to Jesus, for whom every aspect of life was lived in absolute dependence on his Father, whether praying for ‘our daily bread’ (Matthew 6:11) or looking to God for ‘the right time’ (John 7:6) for his every move.
So, how do we get God’s strength into our lives? Well, first of all, we have to believe that this is how he wants us to live, and that he has promised his help and strength to those who recognize this and ask him for it. Depending on him really does bring a blessing! Second, we need to recognise how easy it is to fall into depending on our own strength, into doing things without even praying about them (perhaps because we think they are too ‘ordinary’ or because we have done them so many times before). Such an attitude is really quite presumptuous (a heart attitude that the Bible says God hates).
Depending on God in everything is a skill we all have to learn and grow in; it doesn’t come naturally. But whenever we put it into practice, the blessing of God rushes in. try it today and see!
‘Blessed are those whose strength is in you…’ (Psalm 84:5)
Copyright © 2017 Martin Manser and Mike Beaumont
