Reliance

Reliance is something I have been thinking about a LOT lately. Come to think if it, it’s more of something I’ve been subjected to watching. We all rely on something. We rely on our alarm clocks to go off in the morning, our car to get us to school and work, the pastor to preach a good sermon…the list goes on. Just last week I was ‘privileged’ to work in Vacation Bible School at my church. (I place some emphasis on the privileged part because it truly was a blessing – despite the grueling hours.) From 8 in the morning to 1 in the afternoon I was downtown, along with over 1,000 children and workers, and then from 5 in the evening to 8:30 at night, I was at the South Campus of FBC, in Ponte Vedra, helping out with the 100 kids who participated there. It was a BUSY week to say the very LEAST. The first day of VBS was a bit chaotic. An influx of children attended and caught everyone by surprise. New rooms were opened, staff members were pulled to teach classes, more cookies were to be set aside, and the list continues. What took weeks of preparation in some aspects was practically forced to be accomplished in mere hours. I recall standing at the South Campus auditorium, when Rev. Allen gave the ‘daily report’ on the previous/ current day of VBS. It was only day 2 and I was already beat, worn out, tired, and ready for the night to be over. As I stood there, almost captivated in my own selfish thoughts, the Lord grabbed my attention. Rev. Allen was rejoicing in the numbers of children that had attended and reminded everyone that without the Lords’ hand and intervention, this week wouldn’t go on. (Not as planned, anyway.) It wasn’t so much of what he said that peaked my interest, but what was behind what he said: Reliance. It doesn’t really seem like it’s that big of a deal; VBS, a lot of kids….that’s what’s supposed to happen, right? Yes, but what about in our own lives. Do we so rely on God that we admit without His intervention, it’s hopeless? Dr. Brunson said something recently that ties right along with what God has been teaching me. One Sunday morning he mentioned how he loves to ask God to do the impossible because without His hand, His movement, it won’t happen. It requires a genuine faith that God will show up. (Obviously, those are not the exact words he used, simply my best interpretation at the moment) Where are we when it comes to relying on God in every aspect of our lives? We forget, but it’s God who grants us our next breath. He is the one who takes thought of us, who gives us all that we need. Psalm 8:3-4 says, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?” He thinks a lot of us. As I was preparing my heart and mind to write down these words, I was trying to think of some scripture that went along with the truth of relying on God. It wasn’t hard to come up with one. 2 Samuel 17:37 says, “And David said, ‘The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’” Then in verse 45, it says, “Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, a speak, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.” (I wish I could have you read the next few verses because it really brings it all together, but I’m running out of room and time!) Here is my point: David relied solely on His Lord. He was facing, perhaps, one of the biggest challenges in history. The week of VBS, I saw leaders in my church rely so heavily on God to pull through and provide – I was convicted that I was not relying on Him like I should be, for everything. If we, the church, the body of Christ, would rely on God everyday like we do when times get tough, I can’t help but wonder what that would do for our city, for our world.