Dependence on God

We were not designed to live life on our own.  We were made for fellowship with God.  We were made to trust in Him and to share our burdens with Him. We were created to live a life of dependence on God.

Depend – To trust; to rest with confidence; to rely; to confide; to be certain; as, we depend on the word or assurance of our friends; rely on for support.

Philippians 4:11 – I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Paul learned the secret of absolute trust in the Lord for everything. He learned to walk in the Lord’s strength and ability rather than his own. He learned how to depend upon the Lord.  And this made him able to live independent of his circumstances.

2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV) – For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.

Message – God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God’s help. Now you’re in trouble—one round of war after another.

God wants to work mightily on our behalf.  But He can only do this for one who depends upon Him, one who trusts in Him and is committed to him.

This is how God sees things: You are foolish to go for human help when you can have God’s help. He is searching for those who are committed to trust in Him – so that He can show Himself strong on their behalf.

Here is an example of when Asa trusted in the Lord and enjoyed a great and miraculous victory.

2 Chronicles 14:11 – Asa cried to the Lord his God, O Lord, there is none besides You to help, and it makes no difference to You whether the one You help is mighty or powerless.  Help us, O Lord our God!  For we rely on You, and we go against this multitude in Your name. O Lord, You are our God; let no man prevail against You!

When you face a battle in your life in dependence on the Lord, relying on His help and strength, the battle is the Lord’s. He will fight for you, and His victory is certain.

Come to the Lord with the same attitude.  Say, “Lord there is none besides you to help!”  Lord, help us, for we rely on You and in your Name we face the problems in our lives!”

In the time of Jehoshaphat when the enemy came against them, they didn’t just go out to fight to the best of their ability. The prayed and sought the Lord.  They came together to seek help from the Lord, and the Lord heard them.  He gave them a plan for battle.  They followed it and won a great victory with much spoil.

2 Chronicles 20:4, 12, 17 – They came together to seek help from the Lord. They said…for we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you. The Lord answered them with these words, “You shall not need to fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord [Who is] with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

V. 24-25 – And when Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked at the multitude, and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none had escaped! When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoil, they found among them much cattle, goods, garments, and precious things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry away, so much they were three days in gathering the spoil.

The Lord is SEARCHING for those who will trust in Him so that He can do mighty things for them and through them to others!

We are designed to depend upon the Lord, to abide and live in His presence every day of our lives. We are not fully whole unless we are connected to the Lord and trusting in Him. This is where our personal victory comes from, and it is also where the strength to serve Him and work miracles in His name comes from. God wants us to be fruitful in every good work, and all fruit comes from Him through us. Without Him we can’t bear good fruit. Jesus said that apart from Him we can do nothing.  Too bad that many don’t take Him at His Word.

John 15:4-5 – Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.

Jesus sent us out to do the works that He did and greater works, and His intention is that we do the works in the same way He did, in entire dependence and reliance and obedience to God.  If Jesus needed to depend upon God for all things, how much more us?

John 14:12 – …he that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do, because I go to the Father.

We are to do the works that Jesus did – but only in the same way that Jesus did them. He did nothing but what He saw and heard from the Father.

These days, few walk close enough to God to follow this example. They don’t spend the time with God long enough to see and hear and know what He wants done nor the time in His presence it takes to learn how to walk with Him and draw from His strength and walk in complete dependence to Him. They just do what they have been taught or what people think a minister should do.

But times are changing. These days a multitude of believers are getting to know their God intimately and personally who will rise up and walk in His presence and do his works.  Those who walk with God do the works of God; their deeds are done only in God.

John 3:21 – But those who do what is true come to the light so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.

Look at the examples in Scripture where it mentions His entire dependence upon God.  When God says something so many times, we need to make sure we take heed.

John 5:19-20 – Jesus said to them, very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that He Himself is doing and He will show Him greater works than these so that you will be astonished.

John 5:30 – I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge and my judgment is just because I seek to do not my own will but the will of Him who sent me.

John 6:38 – For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

John 6:57 – Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.

John 7:15-16 – The Jews were astonished at it, saying, how does this man have such learning, when He has never been taught? Then Jesus answered them, my teaching is not mine but his who sent me.

John 7:28-29 – Then Jesus cried out as He was teaching in the temple, you know me and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true and you do not know Him. I know Him because I am from Him and He sent me.

John 8:28-29 – So Jesus said, when you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am He, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to Him.

John 8:38, 42 – I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you do what you have heard from your Father… If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but He sent me.

John 14:10-14 – Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.  Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

John 14:24, 31 – Whoever does not love me does not keep my words, and the word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me… I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father…

John 20:21 – Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

Acts 10:38 – God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

We too are sent out by God anointed with the Holy Spirit and power to go about doing good and healing all.  If God is with us, we will be doing the same works that Jesus did – in the same way – in TOTAL AND COMPLETE DEPENDENCE UPON GOD!