None Like You

"Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said,

"LORD, there is no one like you

to help the powerless against the mighty.

Help us,

LORD our God,

for we rely on you,

and in your name we have come against this vast army.

LORD, you are our God'

do not let mere mortals prevail against you."

2 Chronicles 14:11

Asa had enjoyed peace for ten years.  When an Ethiopian named Zerah attacked with almost double the forces, it would have been easy to despair.  Asa, however, believed there was no help to compare to God's and he trusted fully in Him.

To what or whom do I turn when I could be relying on God like Asa did?

Man's Wisdom.  I wanted to talk to someone face to face so I could hear some reassurance, find some encouragement and receive some sympathy.  I craved immediate relief and desired speedy solutions so I could get through this rough spot as quickly as possible and get back to the business of living.  Unfortunately, in my quest to ease my suffering and end the discomfort, I relied on man's wisdom instead of God's.

When it comes right down to it, I have a choice to make.  Either I trust God and let Him lead me down paths I would have never chosen for myself, or I do what makes sense to me and seems familiar and comfortable (Proverbs 3:5).  No matter how much I may try to convince myself, I can't follow God and live life my way at the same time; it's impossible.

I often turn to man's wisdom when I could be relying solely on God.

Conventional Channels.  It's what everyone else does.  This route is the well-traveled one which many have pointed out as the best way (Matthew 7:13).  It's how everyone I know solves this kind of problem so it must be good, or so I tell myself.

In God's kingdom, His ways are upside-down and backwards from my way of looking at things.  In fact, He is so creative in His thinking that I could never fathom His solutions.  Even if I spent every waking moment studying God and His Word, I'd never in a million years be able to anticipate how He will act in any given situation.  He is just that much higher than I (Isaiah 55:8-9, Micah 4:12).  

Therefore, I need Him to show me His way.  I can't guess His purposes for me in a certain situation.  Instead, I just need to trust Him to show me His unique and higher way.  It's like what nineteenth century American evangelist D.L. Moody is known to have said: "The sweetest lesson I have learned in God's school is to let the Lord choose for me."

I often turn to conventional channels when I could be relying solely on God.

Quickest Solution.  It's drudgery, or it's painful, or it feels meaningless.  Whatever the source of the discomfort, I want to move on as fast as I can.  No more wasting time on this foolishness, I think, I need to get on with my life!

There's no doubt about it, I hate wasting time.  I have so much to do that I loathe interruptions, hiccups and distractions.  Anything that takes my attention away from my goal needs to be removed from my life.  

Unfortunately, God's plan for me often includes interruptions, hiccups and distractions.  In fact, many times God uses such tools as a wake-up call of kinds. These irritations and painful side-roads could be the very thing God is using to refine me, or build my faith, or grow my character (Romans 5:3-5, Malachi 3:3).

I often turn to the quickest solution when I could be relying solely on God.

When I understand that God is the source of all the good in my life, I will realize He is the only one I can rely on in times of trouble.  Then I will turn away from man's wisdom which sounds so good to me, conventional channels which seem like the obvious choice, and the quickest solution that I think will deliver the least amount of suffering and lessen the fallout.  It is then that I will be like Asa, saying there is none like You, Lord.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God in all my ways.

When do I rely on what sounds good to me instead of letting God choose for me?

How am I most susceptible to accepting fleshly advice?