Our Foundational Reliance

“For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is trustworthy; He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the Lord’s unfailing love.” (Psalm 33:4-5)

            The word of the Lord and the work of the Lord are conjoined.  Each depends on the other.  Where one goes, the other goes by necessity.

            The Lord speaks, and all creation comes into being.  He spoke into existence the heavens, the stars, the waters, and humanity with all other life.  The Lord speaks and reveals also His heart for us to see:  righteousness, justice, love, and His desire that we respond with hope and faith in Him and love toward Him.  This response He seeks is expressed by waiting on Him in trust for deliverance and strength.

            We tend, however, toward self-reliance.  We practice it, and we teach it to our children.  Our first response to difficulty is to “figure it out” and take action to resolve it.  In normal, everyday situations this is as it ought to be, and, in fact, this is good.  The problem comes, though, when we let this tendency rule every area of life.  Sooner or later we all face life situations that are beyond our control, problems we cannot “figure out.”

            What we need to understand and apply is that, while God does expect us to practice a routine sort of self-reliance for day to day situations, He also calls us to practice a much broader and larger reliance on Him in the heavier matters of life.  Relying on Him, waiting on Him, trusting in Him is to be our foundation for everything, because His word is right, and His work is trustworthy.  Any self-reliance must be built on the foundation of God-reliance.

Lord, There is no other Foundation.  You’re it. Help us to build our confidence on You as our Foundation of life.  Amen.