“…for without Me, you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Dear Ones:
There are two great objectives that God aims to accomplish in us. They both have their essence and realization in our hearts and minds. He works in us to “will and to do of His good pleasure” to first bring us to understand that without Him, Christ, we can do nothing. There are two facets to this issue. The first is to think that we can, in and of ourselves, “exist” independently of Christ. We forget, as Paul wrote, that “…all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him ALL THINGS CONSIST (exist).” (Col. 1:16,17) We do indeed, “…live and move and have our being in Him.” The other aspect of this truth of not being able to do anything apart from Christ has to do with that which is eternal in its quality, and longevity. David Livingstone put it ever so simply: “…what’s done BY HIM will last.” In other words, if something does not have its origin and essence IN Christ, it will not last when the fires of judgement go through it. As Jesus said, “It is the Spirit that quickeneth (gives Life); the flesh profiteth NOTHING.” (Jn. 6:63) The first, and great lesson in God’s training of us is to realize that we are helpless in and of ourselves to exist, live a worthy life, and to please God.
The second great principle that we are taught is that “…all things are possible to God.” Jeremiah came to understand this when he wrote: “Then came the word of the Lord to Jeremiah, saying, ‘Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jer. 32:27) Jesus would tell His disciples, with regard to the salvation of the rich, young ruler: “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” (Luke 18:27) On the one hand we see that God works in us to see that we are NOT to hope in ourselves. On the other hand, we are to trust Him alone, relying wholly upon Him, and this, for all.
In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he speaks of his “thorn in the flesh.” He says that it was given to him, severely limiting him, so that he would not glory in anything but in God alone. Paul associates that thorn with “weakness,” that consciousness of need, which the Lord addresses by saying: “My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (12:9) Paul had to rely, not on himself and his “resources,” but only on the faithfulness, and sufficient grace of the Lord to meet his every need. It is for this reason that he would write: “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (limitations), that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (v.9)
During the first forty years of Moses’ life, he became a highly educated man, “…mighty in words and in deeds.” (Acts 7:22) After fleeing Egypt, he spent the next forty years in the desert region of Midian. There he would tend sheep. It was certainly not a place for “mighty words and deeds.” At the end of forty years, when he was eighty years old, the Lord speaks to him about going back to Egypt to deliver His people. Though Moses had sensed his calling in the first forty years, he was not ready for God to work in and through him. He had to learn the two lessons, first, that he had not the resources in and of himself to accomplish the task, for he said to God: “I am not eloquent…but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” (Ex. 4:10) It would be in the last forty years of his life, that Moses would learn that God was everything, sufficient for every need, and committed to respond to faith, the faith of his servant.
Dear Father, give us grace to realize that we can do nothing apart from Thee, but also, that You are willing to meet us more than sufficiently in every circumstance, in every need, for you have said: “Faithful is He who calls you who also WILL do it.” (1 Thess. 5:24) We thank and praise Thee, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad