Ezra is preparing to go on a journey. He gathers others to voyage with him, then fasts and prays, hoping for a safe journey. He understands that humbling himself before God and showing his dependence on Him before starting the trek is essential, so he prays with all his might. He gets Israel to pray with him. After the fasting and prayer, he realizes two things: God heard him and God is going to respond. (Ezra 8:21-23)
I have been reading Ezra and Nehemiah in the Old Testament, books that both show the importance of dependence on God. Kings in Israel came and went; they lived and died. The most important thing mentioned about them seemed to be whether or not they walked in the way of the Lord. If kings didn’t depend on the Lord and obey His commands, they would lose battles, or worse yet, their kingdom. The nation of Israel was most united when everyone in it, kings and subjects, were loyal to the Lord. When they depended on Him for every task and gave Him credit for every victory.
Some of the most exemplary kings in Ezra and Nehemiah were the ones that prayed before going into battle. They used their battle wins to glorify the Lord and knew their victories were because of the Lord.
When Israel’s kings were dependent on God, He never failed to provide for them and their kingdoms. When they were dependent on Him was when He brought Israel out of captivity and did great things for the nation. The spiritual state of Israel’s kings generally aligned with the spiritual state of Israel’s people.
The kings and people had to humble themselves to be dependent on the Lord. They had to admit that they couldn’t make it on their own; that God’s power was the only way they could win their battles; that they were hopeless without the Lord on their side. Today, the principles of dependency are the same.
Control
People like being in control. When our lives spiral out of control is when we often realize the providence of God, because we are forced to admit that things are going to change and shift. The only One who doesn’t change is God, and therefore, He is our only hope of a sturdy foundation.
Covid-19 has made me realize that so many things I thought were under my control aren’t. Even now, when the visible effects of the pandemic are disappearing and mask mandates and quarantines are ending, the lessons I learned at the beginning of the pandemic are still vivid in my mind. Nothing in life was ever under my control, and rightly so - everything has always been in the hands of the Ruler of the Universe. Covid-19 simply shone a light on what was already true.
What has spiraled out of your control in your life? It doesn’t have to be because of the pandemic; it can be because of an unexpected injury, family emergency, social drama, or anything else. Have you acknowledged the reality that nothing was ever under your control in the first place? I sometimes find it scary that I have no control over what happens in this world. But I also find it relieving. I am now freed to be dependent on the One who is ever-faithful and unchanging.
Why we should depend on God
Giving up control to God is scary, but so freeing. He will never let you down. He’ll do the opposite; if you depend on Him, He’ll lift you up. “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). This verse doesn’t ensure that you will be exalted on Earth, but you will have your reward in Heaven. You will get to spend eternity with Jesus, which is the greatest reward that exists.
None of us can accomplish anything on our own. We need God. I want God to be my closest friend. I want Him to be the one I depend on when times get rough; He can pull me through.
God is worthy of our dependence. Have we ever created a universe? Have we come up with the perfect plan for redemption? The obvious answer is no, but God has done those things. We are not worthy, but God is. We deserve death, but God is life. We have seen God prove Himself worthy of dependence in the Bible and many times in our own lives. When kings in the Old Testament depended on God, He won battles for them. When Jesus depended on God, He died on a cross, but rose on the third day, giving life to all who believe in Him. The Gospel exists because Jesus depended on God.
The Bible tells us to depend on God. There are countless verses in the Bible telling us to look to God for our provision (Proverbs 3:5-6, John 15:5, Exodus 14:14, etc). Even Jesus, the man who never sinned, depended on His Father. He made sure to spend time alone with God and went as far as to fast for 40 days and 40 nights, proving that He trusted His Father more than human means of satisfying His needs. We should follow Jesus’ example.
We can do nothing alone. “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (Psalm 127:1). Even if we accomplish things on this Earth, every worldly reward we gain will fade. Only our work for our master, the Lord or the devil, will make an eternal impact. And we can’t work for the Lord without depending on the Lord, just as an employee can’t effectively work for his boss without depending on the boss for guidance and provision (pay). Though this comparison works in some ways, our relationship with God is so much deeper than that of an employee-employer relationship. We are instructed to depend on God with everything.
God will provide if we depend on Him. Would you ever say of God, “He’s just forgotten that person”? Or, “He didn’t come through on that one”? If you would, you’re deceiving yourself. Scripture says that God will provide for us. “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!” (Luke 12:27-28). When we think we can do everything ourselves and we refuse to depend on God, we are refusing the gift of provision. We are saying, “No thank you, God, I can handle it on my own.” How unwise is that?
What do you need to give to God today?
God commands our everything, but giving Him everything is much easier said than done. Sometimes we say to Him, “I’ll love You and live mostly for You, Lord, but let me keep my work life to myself. Let me make my entertainment choices on my own.” Hypocritical, right? Sometimes the things we’re keeping from God are less obvious. Maybe we’re not giving our time to God or we’re not digging into His Word enough to satisfy our souls. Sometimes we’d rather watch Youtube than spend extra time in the Word.
What is it that you’re keeping from God? I’ll go first: I feel that I’ve been keeping my thoughts from Him. In my spare time, it’s easy to get caught up in what I’m going to eat for dinner or how much homework I have to do. But every second should be dedicated to God. I forget that I do not need to worry about worldly things, but rather focus on God as my provider, and everything I need will be added to me.
Prayer helps us depend on God, so I will pray more. Knowing who God is helps us depend on Him, so I will pay more attention while reading the Word. Worship is part of showing our dependence to God, so I will incorporate worship into my daily life.
I dedicate my thoughts, my whole life, to You, Lord. I know You will provide.You have control over everything in my life and I acknowledge that control. Amen.