Trust in the Lord

"We’re depending on GOD; he’s everything we need.
No wonder we are happy in the Lord!
For we are trusting him. We trust his holy name.
Love us, GOD,with all you’ve got—that’s what we’re depending on.”
Psalm 33:20

Today my three-year old daughter wanted to go outside and play. After asking if she could, I had to be the bearer of bad news and tell her she couldn’t – mom and dad were busy and so there’d be no one to watch her. Without missing a beat, she proceeded to tell me that she would watch over herself. “I can watch me, dad” ... I think were her exact words. And she said it with such confidence and conviction – as far as she was concerned the matter was settled, the problem had been solved ... there was no one to watch her but now there was and so, perceiving no need for further discussion or dialogue, she proceeded to march triumphantly out the door. I didn’t know what to do ... well, actually I did – I told my wife I had to go to the church and work on my blog so she’d have to take care of the whole “I’ll watch myself” situation!

An independent, self-sufficient, I-don’t-need-you-dad attitude like that in a three-year old!? That’s not right, is it? And, if she’s this way now, what is she going to be like in ten years ... what am I going to do when she turns thirteen? I can’t live at the church and blog my way through her teenage years, can I?

Oh the joys of dealing with our kids’ “I can do it myself” attitude, right?

As I consider that, I can’t help but think that God probably feels the same way sometimes ... only I’m the kid, I’m the one telling Him, “I can take care of myself.” I wonder if God sees me struggling with the independence of a three-year old daughter and under His breath sort of snickers and comments, “Welcome to my world, son!”

I’m not sure why I would ever have the audacity to think I could make it through life for even one moment without God - I’m not sure why I’d ever be so foolish as to even try ... but I know the reality is that there are times when that’s exactly what I do. I think I can do it, I can figure it out, I can solve the problem ... I think I can do life without Him. And so, I don’t seek Him in prayer ... I don’t listen for Him in Bible reading ... I get so busy trying to take care of me, that I trick myself into thinking I can actually do it. It makes me to wonder ... how many times have I missed out on His power because I was trusting in my own? How many times have I missed out on God’s wisdom because I was content with man’s? How many times have I missed out on His perfect will because I was lost pursuing mine? How much more of His blessing and His favor and His goodness and His protection would I have experienced if only I hadn’t told Him, “I can watch me, Dad”?

The prophet Isaiah talks about a day when Judah had decided they would be fine without God. There was an enemy getting ready to attack and rather than depend on God and His strength, they decided they would take care of themselves. Their brilliant plan was to make an alliance with Egypt ... after all, why seek help from the Lord when Egypt was there ready and willing. God was not pleased and in Isaiah 30:5, lets His people to know the outcome of trusting in someone else, “Anyone stupid enough to trust them will end up looking stupid!”

Wow – isn’t that always the way it is: Like the Psalmist, depend upon the Lord and find happiness ... or ... like Judah back in the day, depend upon someone other than the Lord and end up looking stupid!

Lord – we don’t want to be stupid or look stupid, so help us to depend on You and only You ... all the time, every time!