BrethrenVoice <><><><><><> How dependent upon the Lord are we? "That which is begun in self-confidence will end in shame." - Richard Sibbes Adam Clarke in his Commentary on Proverbs 3:6 - "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" - made some very striking statements - "Self-sufficiency and self-dependence have been the ruin of mankind ever since the fall of Adam. The grand sin of the human race is their continual endeavor to live independently of God; i.e., to be without God in the world. True religion consists in considering God the fountain of all good, and expecting all good from Him." Someone once said, "Pride is a denial of dependance upon God." What about us as Christians? Are we seeking to live independently of God? How much of God do we want or feel that we need in our lives? Are we satisfied with only a casual Sunday acquaintance simply because we desire to live the rest of the week following our own agenda? How dependent upon God are we? The purpose of this message is to examine ourselves in the light of four different Scriptures to determine our true dependency upon God. Proverbs 16:3 - "Commit thy works unto the LORD..." The word "commit" means to roll upon. It is depicted by a man who transfers an unbearable burden onto the back of someone who is stronger and mightier than himself and better able to carry it. King Solomon said, "Commit...unto the LORD..." In other words, roll upon the Lord. We are to transfer the heavy load from our shoulders onto the shoulders of the One Who is well able to bear it - the Lord Jesus Christ. What are we to "commit" or roll upon the Lord? Our "works." It is very interesting to learn that the word "works" involves things that we encounter on a daily basis - our deeds, our actions, our labors, our businesses, our transactions, our pursuits, our undertakings, our enterprises, our achievements, our occupations, and our operations. So no matter what lot we find ourselves in - whether we are businessmen involved in business transactions, college students with aspiring pursuits, surgeons with daily operations, ministers with missions or evangelistic undertakings, house painters, carpenters, truck drivers, or housewives with a respectable occupation - we all have "works" that we are to "commit" or roll upon the Lord. The question is - How successful are we in rolling our everyday burdens of care upon Him? Do we daily lay our matters before the Lord in prayer, or do we in total self-sufficiency and independence of God, carry the burdens ourselves? How dependent upon the Lord are we? The way to determine this is to ask ourselves how easily we are able to roll our burdens upon the Lord and leave them with Him. If we have a problem with totally relinquishing our cares unto the Lord, but afterwards, end up picking them up again, we are having a problem of independence. We are still acting as if we are in control and have to take matters into our own hands. Are we professing to know God, yet in "works" denying Him? Psalm 37:5 - "Commit thy way unto the LORD..." Here we find the word "commit" used again. Only this time we are commanded to roll our "way" upon the Lord. What is implied in the word "way"? Our "way" would be our general course of life. It is the path that we are treading, the manner in which we are living, the overall direction of our lives with all its plans and conduct. The question is - How are we living today? Have we rolled our entire course of life upon the Lord? Are we following along His designated path for our lives? Are we seeking for His direction each step of the way? Are we adhering to His plans, purposes, and mannerisms for our lives? Our answers to these questions determine exactly how dependent we are upon the Lord. Are we as Christians still trying to live independently of the Lord? Proverbs 3:6 - "In all thy ways acknowledge Him..." This particular Scripture calls for a God-centered life, lived out with a continual God-consciousness. "In all thy ways." Solomon did not say, "in some of thy ways" or "in the great crises of life." No, he very directly said, "In all thy ways." "All" means exactly what it says - "All" - leaving nothing out. What are we required to do "in all our ways"? The Scripture tells us to "acknowledge Him." In other words, we are to consider God, recognize God, learn to know God, and be aware of God in "all of our ways." We are to live with a God-consciousness, constantly depending upon Him for Wisdom, Direction, and Guidance. Are we living out our Christian life continuously acknowledging God? How God-conscious are we? Are we God-centered or man-centered? Dependent on God or Independent of God? Psalm 90:17 - "And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us, yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it." Psalm 90 is a prayer of Moses, the man of God. Verse 17 relates his final words of prayer. Remember in Exodus 33 how Moses pleaded with the Lord for His Grace, and the Lord responded with these words - Exodus 33:14 - "...My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." What did Moses answer? Exodus 33:15 - "...If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." What earnestness in this reply! Moses did not want to take one more step without knowing of a surety that God's Grace or Presence would be with him and the Children of Israel. Here again in Psalm 90:17 we see Moses' wholehearted desire for God's Grace and Presence as he prays, "Let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us..." What is this "beauty of the LORD"? It is God's Presence, Blessing, Approbation, Pleasantness, Loveliness, Splendor, or Graciousness. It is the excellency of His Character and Glory. He then prays, "...establish Thou the work of our hands upon us: yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it." Have you ever wondered why Moses repeated his words here in this prayer? The repetition depicts his sincere desire for God's enabling to carry out His plans and accomplish His purposes. Moses knew very well that we are insufficient of ourselves to carry out God's plans. 2 Corinthians 3:5 - As the Apostle Paul said, "...our sufficiency is of God." In order to successfully carry out God's purposes, he knew from experience that it would take the Awesome Presence of Almighty God, establishing and directing His people. That is why He prayed, "And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us..." Oh, do we have that same heartfelt desire for God's Presence in our lives? Are we fully aware that without His Presence, we cannot carry out our daily tasks? Or has the enemy of our souls deceived us into believing that we are sufficient in ourselves? We need God's Presence. Oh, how we need His Presence! How we need to make Moses' prayer our daily prayer. It will be sure to quench the evil flames of independence from God from sweeping over our souls. I quote Adam Clarke once again - "Self-sufficiency and self-dependence have been the ruin of mankind ever since the fall of Adam." And they will be the ruin of our lives unless we allow the Holy Spirit to shake us of all independence from God. The Scriptures admonish us - Proverbs 16:3 - "Commit thy works unto the LORD..." Psalm 37:5 - "Commit thy way unto the LORD..." Proverbs 3:6 - "In all thy ways acknowledge Him..." Moses the man of God taught us how and what to pray for - Psalm 90:17 - "And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us." May we show our total dependence upon God each day by praying as Moses did so long ago - Exodus 33:15 - "...If Thy Presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." Let us demonstrate to the Lord our total insufficiency without Him by determining that we will do nothing or go nowhere unless His Presence goes with us! May we never live another day of our lives without acknowledging Him in all our ways! May we never be so foolish as to try to live independently of God! May God Bless His Word. Connie Giordano ______________________________________________________________________ BrethrenVoice facilitates free flow of Christian information. ["Examine yourselves whether you are in faith." 2 Cor 13:5] To unsubscribe, email: brethrenvoice-unsubscribe@... To subscribe, email: brethrenvoice-subscribe@... 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