“I Can Do It Myself”

 

  

               

Ever heard an angry toddler yell that? He’s determined to accomplish something on his own and refuses your help. As parents, we chuckle and watch those fierce little ones in amusement, knowing we could help if only they would let us.

In some ways, we’re all like toddlers. We insist we know better than God. We don’t need His help, His guidance, His input. The Israelites were guilty of this, too. Despite all that God had done for them, they relied on themselves and on idols. Hosea 13:6 says, “When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.”

Just like the toddler who refuses to ask for help, often we only turn to God when we’ve exhausted all our own efforts. Our pride keeps us from remembering that He is there and He knows what is best for us.

If we, as earthly parents, are eager to help our children, how much more eager is God to help us? He watches as we attempt to do life on our own and struggle through the consequences. But He’s always there, waiting for us to stop relying on ourselves and look to Him for help. God’s plan has gotten us to where we are right now. Wouldn’t He know best how to get us to where we need to be?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday - October 4, 2016

Woodlawn Family Bible Study TUESDAY BIBLE READING:    Genesis 32:22-32 Do you want to be blessed? That sounds like a rhetorical question, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t want to be blessed? I guess it really depends on your definition of “blessed.” Many people desire blessings that will make them wealthy or, perhaps, material goods. However, being blessed is not limited to those physical things. In fact, sometimes we can be blessed in the most unusual ways. For instance, in Genesis 32:26, we find Jacob wrestling with what we often call an angel. Within the story, Jacob is overtaking the angel and holding him down; refusing to let go until the angel gives him a blessing. The angel obliges Jacob, but not in the way he might have imagined. The angel changed his name from “Jacob” to “Israel,” but he also did something else. He put Jacob’s hip joint out of socket, causing him much pain and difficulty walking. In part, his blessing had to do with him walking with a limp. How is tha...
Read more

“Examples”

BIBLE READING: Mark 13- Luke 1 DISCUSSION                                                                                   This past week we have read of some great examples in the bible.   We read in Mark 13 about us being ready and being prepared for when Jesus returns.   We need to all stay awake!   In Mark 14 we read of one action having such an impact.   How this woman gave her very best to Jesus because of her love for Him.   In Mark 15 we read of Pontius Pilate and his desire to keep his power.   He loved his power and did not want to give it up even if that meant sending an inno...
Read more

Monday

BIBLE READING : Job 3. 1-26 “I wish I had never been born,” Job said to his friends. “I wish that my birthday was just wiped off of the calendar as though it never happened.” Who could blame him? The loss that he had endured in mere moments had been catastrophic. Job had experienced a wonderful life until that day, when all he had known changed. I know that many people have endured tragic losses, but Job’s defeat seems unfathomable. Isn’t it ironic that, although Job’s comments brought him so much pain, they can bring us so much joy? My mother always taught me that, no matter how bad I may think things are, someone else always is suffering more than I am. Not only does that help us to feel that we are not alone in our depression, but it gives us that hope for what is to come. Job’s story helps us to learn to appreciate the blessings that we have today! Job was not in control of his circumstances, but he was in control of his reaction to those circumstances. When Job was hurtin...
Read more