Thoughts for another day

November 7, 2006

Today's verse: Judges 7:2. The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. (KJV)

In Ministry, we come across all kinds of people. Some tell us to pray for them; then they go about doing everything that would defeat the very purpose of our prayer. I’ll explain through an example. Nowadays, it has become fashionable for parents to go through the angst of their kids concerning studies. The parent will ask us to pray that the child scores well. And it doesn’t end here. The child is enrolled in the most expensive coaching classes. The cable is disconnected. The parent stays with the child all through the evening and day and night (mercifully schools do not allow parents to accompany the child!) and the efforts continue.

Somewhere down the line, in this vast exercise of nurturing and looking after the child, God is completely forgotten. And then the results come in and the parent basks in the glory of the child (if at all the child scores well, which in most cases it doesn’t and I’ve got solid experience to back this) and of course the response is, who do you think made it possible, me, of course!…

There are so many situations in our lives where the same thing happens. We look toward all human avenues (yes, of course, we also ask someone to pray and then quickly forget about it) and despair and frustrate ourselves. In such a situation, how can you expect God’s help? Yeah, thank God He is not man that He should be like us and completely ignore us; but He still doesn’t approve of our stupid behavior. In any difficult situation, there is only one thing He needs us to do: Be still. And allow Him to work. In my own life, I have seen His mighty power at work. My job today is so easy. I hardly do anything but He delivers because I completely entrust my job to Him. Amazing thing but, He never fails. And sure He gets all the glory. In today’s verse too, God tells Gideon to reduce the no of men accompanying Him so that He will get the glory and you know what? With just 300 men, He delivers the entire army of the Midianites to the Israelites!

My beloved in Christ, God’s power is awesome. Just trust Him. Don’t frustrate His work in your life by going to all and sundry for help. But trust Him. He is The Rock who will save you, come what may and when He does, sing Him a song of praise and proclaim to the world the marvelous things He has done in your life.