A Dose of Reality

“For they did not take the land by their sword – their arm did not bring them victory – but by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face.” (Psalm 44:3 CSB) “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6 CSB)

Something in us does not like to wait. Most of us have a disdain for patience. We prefer to take action to guide events (and sometimes people) toward our objectives. And there is something in us that makes us think we actually can. We tend to believe that we can be in control.

Maybe we need a dose of reality. The psalmist got his dose. He came to realize that the victory of the Israelites in their invasion of Canaan was less about Israel’s military prowess and way more about God’s power. The Corinthians got their dose. Paul reminded them that the growth they experienced in their church came not from Paul’s actions (planting) or Apollos’ actions (watering) but from God’s action. God gave the growth.

Here is our dose of reality: 1) God’s purposes are greater and deeper than ours, 2) God knows what He’s doing, 3) God knows what He wants to accomplish, and 4) the only role we have is to be obedient to whatever He leads us to do. That was true for the Israelites. It was true also for the Corinthians. And now, it is true for us.

Our objectives and desires must be guided by the template of God’s objectives and desires. Anytime we move beyond what He wants, we begin to experience with what we want, and that makes it far too easy to miss the target. God will let us try, so that He can make a point. His point is that the only real success, the only real victory, is that one that He achieves when we follow His lead in full obedience.

Lord, Open our eyes today and show us once again the truth and wisdom we need today to make Your objectives our objectives, and to live life in obedience to the leading of Your Spirit, for Your glory. Amen.