Self-Reliant

God wants us to worship Him. He doesn't need us, for He couldn't be a self-sufficient God and need anything or anybody, but He wants us. When Adam sinned it was not He who cried, "God, where art Thou?" It was God who cried, "Adam, where art thou?"  A.W. Tozer

Our parents raised self-reliant children.  My parents believed that if you set your mind to do something you could accomplish it with hard work and persistence.  When we were young my parents bought a piece of property in the country and built a house on it.  They did the majority of the interior finishes on the house.  They did all the tape and bedding, electrical wiring, installing intercom and a central vacuum system.  We know how to do lots of stuff.  I’ll give you an example of some of the great stuff we were taught growing up. 

I can milk a cow, saddle and ride a horse, tile floors, repair a washing machine in a pinch, rotate my tires, change a flat, make my own clothing, curtains and slip covers, knit a scarf (although I did try to make a pair of gloves one time and they only had three fingers and one glove was smaller than the other so I don’t think you could call this a great talent of mine).  I can make butter in a churn, homemade jelly, bread from scratch and cook.  I can paint using a paint sprayer, mow my lawn, use a weed eater, cut down a tree with a hand saw and plant a garden.  I can install a toilet and replace a bathroom sink.  You might say I am multi-talented in a lot of stuff.  You notice I didn’t say expert because I am not great at all of these.

This started me thinking about all the things that I could do if I am God-Reliant.  If I have God’s power how much more could I do for His Kingdom?  If I am dependent only on the Father how much more can I accomplish with Him in my corner? The thing we need to remember is our strength comes from the Lord.  If we focus on that there is no limit to what we can do in His Name.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, You give me the strength to accomplish much in Your Name.  If I keep my focus on You there is nothing I can’t do.  If I live by your strength and keep my focus off of self, I will bring glory to You in abundance.  Thank you for Your strength and Power.  Help me to be God-Reliant.             

Scripture: “For You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord shall enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop; by my God I can leap over a wall.  As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. “For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places. He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me; so my feet did not slip.  2 Samuel 22:29-37