Completely Dependent

SCRIPTURE: HOSEA 13:4-6 & 9

"But I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me.

I cared for you in the desert, in the land of burning heat.  When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me...

...  You are destroyed, O Israel, because you are against me, against your helper.”

OBSERVATION:

I am always blown away by our ability to convince ourselves that we do not need God.  At least until we are convnced that we do.  You would think that we would just anchor ourselves in the understanding that we are dependant upon God, but instead we eb & flow between independence and dependency right along with the eb & flow of our circumstances.

When our circumstances leave us wanting, hungry, and thirsty, we run to God acknowledging our need for a Savior.  Once our circumstances change because of His faithfullness, we are fulfilled and forget we were ever in need of God.  In fact we convince ourselves that it is because of our own wisdom, strength, and fortitude, that we are in the wonderful season we are in. We become proud.

Pride makes us confident in ourselves.  We begin to go our own way.  Arguing instead of listening.  Moving instead of waiting.  Planning instead of praying. Quitting instead of enduring.  The reality, we are fighting the only one who can help us.

APPLICATION:

God is the only one who can Save, the only one who can help.  I will praise him - acknowledge His goodness - in the valley and on the mountain top, when I am up and when I am down.  I will force myself to thank Him when things are good and when things are bad.  I will not let my relationship with God be tossed about by the tide of life.  Circumstances do not make more or less dependant.  In Him I live, and move, and have my being. I need Him completely all the time and everywhere.

PRAYER:

Father, thank you for your goodness.  The fact that you are faithful to save me.  You are the only one who can help me.  Help me to not let external things (circumstances) determine my level of trust and dependency upon you.  Protect me from the folly of pride I pray.  In Jesus Name - Amen!