Depending on God PART 1- Considering The Ability of Man

Heb 2:16  Clearly, it is not angels that Jesus helps. He helps the people who are from Abraham.
Our greatest handicap in life lies not in what we know we are deficient in ourselves to achieve without the help of God, but in the things we feel we are capable of doing without the help or input of God. I guess that statement may shock some of us but let me say this to you again. Your strengthens in life, may actual be your weakness before God.

Now, before you give up on me as a hopeless case, I urge you to please read on to understand what I mean.

Act 7:22-25  And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:  For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.


In telling the story of Moses, Stephen highlighted a significant fact for us to see. Moses was gifted with a lot of gifts. He was a Prince, mighty in words and deed. Leadership came easily to him. He could command a following with his words. He was well equipped.

Also Moses had an inclination that he was to be used of God to be a deliverer to Israel even when he was a Prince in Egypt. He then was ready to act on this inclination and felt that given his position, influence and status the people would understand that God had placed him in a position to effect their deliverance. He went about trying to do what he had always known was his purpose for being so close to the throne, without seeking the help of God. I mean who needs help when you have the position and the influence? He must have thought. He failed in his first attempt with all he had going for him. 

Friends, it is better for a man to fail in an endeavor that he embarked upon which is devoid of God's input, than for such a man to actually succeed. For instance, you will agree with me that it was better for Jonah to have his journey to Tarshish aborted, than for him to make it safe and sound there. If he had made it to Tarshish, a place where God did not direct him to, what would have become of his life? At best he would have been one of the merchants of the city and his life will not serve the purpose of the King he once served.

Unlike Jonah, a few people manage to succeed in a path that God is not asked to make an input in. Men do sometimes embark on and achieve "great" things without the help of God (in time or in the here and now these things are great but in eternity they hold no value). Examples of one of such men is Cain. He left the presence of God and built a city-Gen. 4:16-17(Is that not impressive?). The greatest prayer one can pray is may I not succeed in doing what is outside of Gods plan for my life.

Given what I said about Moses, You may then be left wondering, Is using my position to advance the cause of God's people wrong? or is being capable of doing something is wrong? or if using your natural abilities, endowments or gifting is such a bad thing.

These questions are valid questions and I can only answer them by presenting to you the wisdom of Esther.

Please go to the concluding part of this article titled- Depending on God Part 2- The Wisdom of Esther.