I have been reminded recently of a glorious truth that I already knew, but need to recall often. That truth is...God does not need me! He is not "counting on" me. The effectiveness or lack thereof of my execution of His commands to me will not enhance or detract from Him. His plan is not contingent upon me. Praise God!
To be honest, if God were depending on me, that would be far too much pressure. I used to get nervous during a high school baseball game when, relatively speaking, very little was on the line. If God were watching me, hopeful that I could execute His plan, I couldn't bear it.
Paul, addressing the great thinkers of Athens regarding their perverted understanding of the gods (Acts 17:16-34), declares to them that there is one true God, the Maker of heaven and earth. He goes further to express that it is in fact He who sustains mankind and not mankind who sustains Him.
"22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’"
Please don't misunderstand the message here. I am not asserting that what I do does not matter. It certainly does matter. It matters a lot, actually. But it matters in relation to my interaction with the God who made me and not in relation to whether or not He will accomplish His will. What great comfort it is to know that, while God does command that I obey His plan, and I am responsible to Him for my obedience and will answer to Him for it, the results are not mine to see to, but His. And while I must trust and obey, and there are consequences for my disobedience, I am within His favor because Jesus has made me righteous in His sight, therefore He will forgive my trespasses.
Folks, the Spirit of God is real. He is a person. He is with us, and He works in us and through us. He has all power and all knowledge. Let's wholly trust Him to accomplish what He intends to do! Let's pray continually with confident expectation that our prayers are heard by the One who matters and that they are effective. Let's remember that the Spirit also prays for us (Romans 8:26). Let's rely on the Lord, not on ourselves, to build the house. He will do it! Praise God!
"Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain." - Psalm 127:1
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