“Trying to do things in your own strength is mighty hard.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – January 31, 2023
Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
When I woke this morning, I had my day perfectly planned. All my appointments were neatly scheduled on my calendar and all my tasks were lined up in a way that I could complete them. But then, my morning turned into a “rush around” morning brought on by some unexpected work calls and an unexpected trip that I needed to make to pick up my husband after ski instructing.
During the middle of my frantic running, I felt the Lord nudge me to sit with Him. Frankly, I was a little irritated and my rebellious, unbelieving side came out. I don’t have time! I thought. But I knew I needed to sit quietly with Him to have a little talk, just Jesus and me. After a few moments, He reminded me that I can get more done on my knees than running around frantically. He can move mountains on my behalf when I will come to Him and ask for help. I can—and you can—always ask Him for help.
I don’t know about you, but this rubs against the way that I often operate. You see, I’m a do-er. I get stuff done. I make checklists and plans and I do stuff. But that isn’t always what’s best because the Lord’s strength is made perfect in weakness. If I could just always remember to ask Jesus for help rather than running into the storm without consulting Him, how much more peace I would have! And then, I would be able to accomplish things according to His will and in His power.
Because, let’s face it, trying to do things in our own strength is hard. It’s mighty hard. But we still insist on doing it this way. Why?
Some people believe that leaning on Jesus for help is a sign of weakness. But it’s not. It’s wise. Some people don’t believe that He is really listening or that He really cares. Unbelief rules them. Both these beliefs will rob the sweet communion that you can experience with Jesus from you. It will also rob your confidence because true confidence comes from being intimately connected to your Maker.
When we know He is God and we are not, we will get a right perspective about Who to turn to when life gets messy—and hurried.
He is inviting you to come to Him today in the midst of your busy. If your morning turned out to be a “running morning” like mine, or if most of your days seem to be hurried, remember this:
God’s power isn’t given to those who are already powerful. He doesn’t delight in the legs of a horse or the strength of a man. He delights in the humble. He delights in the one who turns to Him. But when you’re too busy to turn to Him, you will continue to carry your own burdens because you are being driven out of self-sufficiency. There is no peace in that. The Lord is always there to help you. All you need to do is call out to Him.
“His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior” (Psalm 147:10).
Prayer
Lord, I want to turn to you when life is busy. It’s then that I need your help! Help me not to rely on my own strength. You are always there for me, and I can always ask you for help. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Application
Remember that Jesus is saying that when you call out to Him that He will empower you. He’s saying to you, “Come to me for answers. Come to me for help. You can always come to me.”
Related Reading
Psalm 100:3; Isaiah 2:11; Psalm 20:7
Worship Resource
Elevation Worship & Maverick City: Talking to Jesus
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