THE REASON YOU MUST DEPEND ON THE LORD - PART 1

WEDNESDAY 28 DECEMBER 2022

Since, we are coming to an end of a great year, it's the right time to reflect on how the Lord has sustained us and carried us through until this moment. For this reason, you should make up your mind to depend on the Lord as you prepare for the coming year, and don't be unconcerned about your spiritual growth, prayer life, personal holiness and purity.

Reference: Isaiah 58:11 New Living Translation (NLT) "The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring."

There are diverse levels of care the LORD offers His children. The first one in the above Scripture is divine guidance; the second is provision (giving you water when you are dry); the third is restoration of strength. When they become your portion, you'll be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. And when you are likened to a spring of water, whose waters do not fail, it implies that you are so blessed that you've become a blessing to others.

Divine guidance has to do with the leading of someone or something, with the right help and accurate counsel about how to deal with problems, or how to do something and succeed in it. Provision of water has to do with sustainable maintenance, purification and deliverance. Restoration of strength is the provision of what is necessary for the flourishing of your inward being, health, bones and entire well-being. In the successive parts of this topic, we are going to consider them one by one.

Before you can experience all of these cares voraciously, you must first of all, do this: "Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you" (1st Peter 5:7 NLT). Why? It's because God is an expert as well as skilful, when it comes to handling your cares. He has all the resources and provision you can ever think of. Therefore worrying or being anxious about anything will only make your heart weary and sick. No wonder Jesus asked, "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" (Matthew 6:27 NIV).

There is a practical application of what the Spirit of God tells us to do in Petrine epistolary dictate, which is to give our worries and cares to God, and I'm going to expound on that later. Moreover, remember that His plans for you in 2023 are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT). Therefore, if God has been speaking and trying to get your attention regarding casting your worries on Him, then it's time to listen to His voice so that - for you - the year happening next and soon, will be full of experiencing His grace and goodness, beyond whatever you can figure out from the human standpoint. Stay tuned for part 2. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Isaiah 26:3-4; Jeremiah 17:7-8; Psalm 28:7; Philippians 4:6-7.

Guided Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank you for your reliable character, full of integrity and perfection, which emboldens me to trust and depend on you alone. God of peace, you are my everlasting rock and your faithfulness is the foundation on which my faith stands firm. In the inmost part of my heart, I live to follow your leading and guidance and my hands are open to receive your goodness and provisions from time to time, in Jesus' Name, Amen!