Humble Pie

Do you ever have those moments when you're reading something, and you start to feel a little sure of yourself because you think you know where the author is going with this, and you've got it figured out? Yet, then you read the next sentence only to be completely humbled because what you were thinking was way off-track, if not completely contrary to the point? I hope I'm not alone in this, but it tends to occur most when I'm reading scripture. Allow me to elaborate.



Yesterday, I was reading 1 Samuel 17:34-36, which says:



But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God."



I'm sure most of you realize, but this is the point when David is trying to convince Saul to let him go fight Goliath. As I was reading this, I started forming a nice little principle in my head. It went something like this: Obviously, God had prepared David for this moment. He let him encounter these other adverse circumstances in order to prep him for this really adverse circumstance. So, I must conclude that God is using the hard times in our lives to prepare us for harder times to come.



While at first (to me at least) this sounded good, there are two problems I have with this thought. First, it would mean that our lives are building up to greater and greater adversities (yuck). Second, it really encourages this idea of "I can handle it", which brings me to how I was humbled.



As I read on, I realized that David didn't end his reasoning there. He adds:



The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."



This one statement turned my whole previous thought upside down. David was not saying, "Well, I've done this before I can do it again." He was saying, "I've seen Yahweh deliver me before, and I know He will do it again." The difference may be subtle, but, for me, it changes everything.



I often get so tired of hearing Christians say, "Well, God gave you a brain...use it" or "God gave you the wisdom to figure things out." Maybe it's hypocritical of me to say that though because I definitely see those attitudes show up in my actions way more than I'd like. And maybe it's not the statements in and of themselves that bother me so much as the attitude behind them. However, I see it in myself all the time...the attitude that says spiritual maturity somehow means needing God less. Yet, right now I will refute that with a resounding "NO"!



Isn't it ironic that becoming a mature adult typically looks like becoming more independent from one's parents, while becoming a spiritually mature Christian looks like becoming more and more dependent on our Heavenly Father? I think so. While I do agree that God gives us brains, wisdom, creativity, vision, plans, thoughts, success, etc. they are never meant to draw us away from Him. That's why I love that Saul says, "Go, and the LORD be with you." By all means, we are to go and do His good works as we abide in Him.



It's such a fight, isn't it...to be at the feet of Jesus and stay there...to recognize our desperate need for Him and live in that? The whole idea just seems so utterly and completely opposed in life. Yet, like David, I want to look back and see what God has done and know that the same God will continue working out His great plan, of which we are so privileged to be a part. Amen.