August 31, 2011

Faith's Priorities

Most Christians lament that we tend to try everything we know first, then when all of that fails, we run to God for help. We know that the saying, “God helps those who help themselves” is totally not true. In fact, the Bible says:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5–6)
Throughout Scripture the Lord emphasizes that His people are to be humble, not self-sufficient. He says things like . . . 
For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. (Psalm 149:4)

My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. (Psalm 34:2)
He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. (Psalm 25:9)
One of my favorite passages about what I should trust is even more specific. It says that no matter what my strengths are, knowing and trusting God is more important. 
Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:23–24)
Walking with Christ is not about my IQ, power or riches. It is about relationship. If I know and understand God, I am wise, powerful and wealthy beyond compare. He is loving, just and righteous and delights in these things. He wants me to live in the same way because these things are good and give Him pleasure.

That being said, Spurgeon got my attention this morning with this line from today’s devotional reading: “There is no getting at our God sometimes because of the multitude of our friends . . .” The verses above say that self-sufficiency, pride, intelligence, abilities and wealth can get between me and God. Spurgeon says so can my friends.

He explains by pointing out that all of us easily rely on ourselves and human deliverance. When we are in trouble, we call someone or several people for help. However, by doing this, we miss the blessing that comes from being “so poor, so friendless, so helpless that (we have) nowhere else to turn” and then fly to our Father’s arms. We know little of God because we trust Him with little.

On the other hand, if my troubles are so difficult that I cannot tell them to anyone but God, I will learn more about Him than at any other time. It is when I have only God to trust and then put my full confidence in Him that I realize all my doubts and fears have no ground. My faith grows when I trust Him alone. Also, God is glorified by that priority of faith.

Spurgeon suggests that faith in God alone shows the world that God is worth ten thousand other kinds of help. It shows the wise that childlike faith is powerful — because God is powerful. It shows the rich how rich I am in my poverty — because God is rich in His resources to help me. It shows the strong how strong I am in my weakness — because His strength is perfected in our weakness.

God glorifies Himself the most when I am the most helpless. He magnifies His might in the middle of my distress. Faith loses its glory if it rested on anything other than Him, even others who know Him and are my friends.

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Lord, You have taught me that You alone are all that I need. Yes, friends and fellowship are Your provision and a blessing to me, yet You remind me that I can run to them when I instead need to run to You. May I honor You by trusting You first and coming to You first, instead of making You my last resort.

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