Hab. 1:11 says this, "Then they (the Babylonians) sweep past like the wind and go on - guilty men, whose own strength is their god."
It is God who gives us everything we need to live a Holy life. To give ourselves credit for anything that we have or anything we have become is to place ourselves as God, thinking that it is our hard work or our natural talents that have gotten us where we are. But we must remember, the Lord is the one who has given us our gifts and talents, and every good thing we have.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Lights," James 1:17.
We must not trust in our own wisdom, in our own strength, or in our wealth. To do so is to be a fool:
Pr. 28:26 He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.
Is. 5:21 Woe to them who are wise in their own eyes, and clever in their own strength.
2 Cor. 1:9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead.
Pr. 23:4 Labor not to e rich: cease from your own wisdom.
There's not a thing that we need that God hasn't already provided for. Our part is to
Trust God
Rely on God
Believe God
Hab. 3:9 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; He enables me to go on the heights.
I believe the downfall of America will be her pride and self-reliance; thinking that we don't need God anymore. We're smarter and wiser than He is. We do things our way, because His ways don't make sense to us, so we don't trust Him. We are stubborn and puffed up and have declared our independence from God.
But God says to depend on Him, because He is faithful. Rely on His strength, because He is strong. He will meet every need, because He owns everything. He says to trust in Him to keep us safe and to deliver us from evil.
Is. 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsement, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord.
I guess we don't think of self-reliance as a sin sometimes, but I believe the Lord says otherwise. He's teaching us to come to Him for everything - for all our needs - because He cares for us. He'll let us try things on our own, but there is a much better way!
With God on our side, who can be against us?!!
He is worthy of our trust!
