Reliance

"When Judah attacked, the LORD gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. Then Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there." Judges 1:4-7

Have you noticed the Lord waits to come through and show off until we step out and trust Him? Just like the invisible bridge in Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark. The bridge appears as Indiana steps off a cliff onto the invisible bridge. Or like a chair, until we surrender our full weight to the chair we don't experience it's ability to hold us. Or like my sweet little Eden learning to walk. Until she leaves the safety of daddy and takes steps toward me, she wont fall into my arms and experience my joy and protection of her. 

How much intimacy with God is being forfeited by remaining in our comfortable and safe spot like a grown adult that never learned to walk always reaching arms up for someone to carry them. Not a pretty picture. The same with our faith that remains  mustard seed. A seed never planted, never surrendered to the ground to bear fruit.

What has God called you to do, but you have not yet taken the first step?
What is keeping you from the first step?
What does that show you that you are believing about God? Whats true?

But just as there is horses that tend to rush ahead without command and mules who have a tendency to be stubborn and unwilling to budge. So can we. Sometimes scared to take the first step and other times knowing what God wants us to do and rushing ahead trying to get it done by our own strength.

I wonder if you desire to rely on a process or strategy like I do. For me, I love thinking and I love thinking about ministry strategy. I would absolutely love to have an A, B, C step by step process that if you just always implemented it, wa-la, you'd always achieve radical campus and life transformation with everybody knowing and walking with Jesus. The reason I long for that is for the security of expectation. To always know what to expect and have control over it. But really, it is just an ugly independent from the Lord attitude. It's wanting to do something apart from the Lord, which is impossible. God wants us to surrender control to Him and though we wont always know what to expect, we can rely on the constance of His character. We can rely on His faithfulness, which is our shield (Psalm 91:4)

Have you noticed that He likes to do things differently all the time keeping us trusting Him, not in a formula or strategy? He didn't give  formulas in Scripture. Like how to heal the blind. He used spit in Mark 8, spit and mud in John 9 and just spoke in Matthew 9. 

It seemed that I'm not the only one who likes to rely on other things besides the Lord to get things done. The tribe of Judah had this problem too. They moved forward in what the Lord told them to do (good job guys!) but  didn't turn to the Lord and rely on Him for what to do with their captives. Instead they assumed the culture of the Canaanites by cutting off the thumbs and big toes. Perhaps it's not relying on a strategy or process that tempts you. Perhaps it's relying on what our culture (even Christian culture) says about how to do what God has called you to do. Perhaps it's relying on your experience, expertise, giftings or any other slew of resources all gifts of God for the mission but not in place of the Creator of the mission.

Galatians talks about this, "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" 

What are you doing (even a good thing that God called you to do) by your own strength of trying real hard? 
How do you know if you are relying on the Holy Spirit to work through you or working by your own power?
What would it practically look like to rely on the strength and ability of the Holy Spirit?

Have you ever seen the 3 Circles Diagram? It's a helpful tool in explaining how to live by the strength of the Holy Spirit. Here it is:

Take a few minutes to do a throne check and see who you are relying on and spend some time surrendering yourself to Him.

Ok seriously, is the book of Judges great or what!? Who knew God could use cut off thumbs and big toes to move us to rely on Him more? I am so excited to see what else the Lord has for us in this series.

Can I ask you to take a step of faith with me? Will you share this using the buttons below or copy and paste the url and share on facebook? God's Word does not return void but accomplishes the purpose for which the Lord sent it. So I believe He will use His Word in Judges to encourage your friends. 

Glimpse of Glory in Judges: A Bible study devotional through the book of Judges
Delighting in God as the Know-er of All Things {Day 1}

And PS don't forget to subscribe below so you don't miss any of the Weekday Devotionals. 

I'm linking up with A Holy Experience, A Pause on the Path, The Beauty in His Grip, Nebraska Graceful, The Wellspring


In my journey toward 1000 gifts with Ann Voskamp
#281- Christmas lights
#282- Likely possibility of bringing Tim Tebow to the Auraria campus to talk about how awesome Jesus is.
#283- Such likable accountability friends
#284- Parents who are so incredibly generous (I wonder how many times I have repeated that one)
#285- Friends who love adoption
#286- Students willing to lead take a huge step of faith and lead a missions trip to Cambodia for spring break.