self-sufficient

Psalm 44:3 it was not their own strength that gave them victory.

   It was by You mighty power that they succeeded.

   It was because You favored them & smiled on them.

My little brother, Andy, says often that he's got more God confidence than self confidence.

Our culture says we should be self confident, self sufficient.

Whereas being loved & cherished by the God of the universes does a lot of good for our self image, I don't think the Bible implies anything about being overly self confident or self sufficient. If anything, it points us toward being totally dependent on God for EVERYTHING.

But because of our wealth in this country, our technical advances, & just the way we do things, we expect to be able to pull something off on the strength of our own ingenuity.

Maybe that's why we have a hard time being dependent on God. We think that God may give us direction as to what we are to be or do, but we're the ones in charge of pulling it off.

Nope.

What's the psalm say?

They pulled off success because of God's smile & favor.

I'm not sure if what I'm saying this morning is making any sense. (It's raining gently, lightning, & w/ thundering that's bouncing off the mountains, & now I hear a siren - a rare thing around the farmhouse.)

It's just that the longer we live here in Blairsville & try to be about whatever it is we're to be & do here, the more I'm aware that I'm basically totally dependent on our Abba Father - as in more totally dependent on Him than I ever have been in my life. It's kinda thrilling and scary at the same time.

And before some of you super-christians accuse me of a lack of faith, having that glib attitude just shows you've never been in a position that demands this level of trust. Those who have been where we are usually laugh & tell me the things they thought, or did, or had said to them, when they were in similar seasons.

Think about it - how much do you REALLY depend on God to pull things off, & how much do you really depend on yourself for. I'm learning in a very uncomfortable way how the latter has been overly exercised in my life & how little the former has put to use.