Have you ever done something really embarrassing and were so glad no one was around to see? Some years ago I was asked to help my brother move into a new house. We rented a moving truck and loaded it up as full as we could get it. As we started down the road the going was very rough. The truck was shaking pretty bad and we couldn’t get it to go past 35 mph. Soon enough we started to notice the smell of something burning inside the cab.
As the line of cars stuck behind us grew we frantically started trying to figure out what was going on. After a couple of miles of this we discovered, much to our embarrassment, that the emergency brake was never taken off. Once the brake was released the truck stopped shaking and quickly got up to 50 mph. My brother and I just looked at each other with big sheepish grins and we haven’t spoken of it since.
The reason for our embarrassment is because while we are in the situation we spend so much time and energy resulting in nothing more than frustration. All the while we can’t seem to notice that the simple solution is right in front of us the whole time. I find the same principle to be true in the life of Christians. For the true follower of Christ, the road is often difficult and lined with many obstacles. Though we enjoy many sweet times of overwhelming joy in the Lord, there must also come times of trials, temptation and testing.
Willpower = victory?
We often wade through what seems like a dry barren desert, where God seems nowhere to be found. All of the memories of our intimate communing with Him and his blessings fade from our minds. The farther we stumble into the darkness we ultimately tend to resort to our most natural instinct. We try to figure it out in our own wisdom and in our own strength.
We rely completely on our willpower and nearsighted perception of the situation to muscle our way to victory. In our pride we hate to think that we do not have it within ourselves to provide the way out. And so time after time we are defeated and fail the test, only to repeat the cycle again and again. We can’t seem to get power over sins that have plagued us for years. We constantly seem to fall short during trying times and wallow in defeat and confusion as to why.
The word of God tells us in Isaiah 50:10b
“Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.”
Notice it doesn’t say to try to figure out why the darkness has come or what we did to deserve it. It doesn’t call us to google a solution or seek any of man’s wisdom. The Bible simply gives us two directives.
Trust in the name of the Lord
Names within the Bible were never given just because they sounded good or were trending at the time. In almost every case the name given represented the character of the person and it would epitomize the nature of their lives. It is no different when it comes to God. His name represents His character and reputation. The name of the Lord has superior authority. His name carries with it the record of never losing a battle, keeping His promises and never changing who He is. So when the Lord declares something it comes with the weight of His power, authority and reputation. In the midst of our times of darkness we can retreat into the name of God and stand secure in His word. We can confidently and completely trust in His promises and they will be to us a fortified tower.
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10
Rely on your God
The second directive Isaiah gives us is to rely on our God. Not only do we need to trust in the Lords reputation and stand secure in His word but we must rely on Him. The word used here is defined as to lean against and support oneself upon, to depend on. This cannot be a half-hearted dependence. We cannot try to mix our wisdom and plans with God’s. This needs to be a recognition of our complete and utter inability to gain victory in our own strength. And then a complete and utter dependence upon God’s infinite wisdom and power to accomplish an outcome that will bring Him the most glory.
Too often we muddle through times of trial and testing not realizing or utilizing the power of our unlimited God. Only when we come through the darkness, frustrated and confused, do we see how close the solution was to us. Jesus said that without him we could do nothing. (John 15:5) Even on our best days we cannot accomplish half of what God can do. Jesus did not die on the cross just to stand back and watch our meager attempts at gaining victory in our lives. He came to give us the ability to become more than conquerors, through him. (Romans 8:37)
Don’t trust yourself
We have to stop leaning upon and trying to support ourselves on our limited wisdom and perspective of things and start relying completely on the God who sustains galaxies. Whether we are trying to conquer sins that easily trip us up or going through trying times we need to trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon Him and Him alone to bring us through. I challenge and encourage you, next time you are finding yourself being tempted or tested by trials DO NOT rely on what you think is best. Run to God, run to His word and trust in Him and his ability. Though God’s way may not always be easy, it is always best. It will be a fight to deny and humble ourselves, but it will be so worth it in the end. The battle belongs to the Lord!