balance the natural and spiritual
“No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior is saved by his great strength. The horse is a vain hope of salvation; for all his great strength he cannot save” (Psalm 33:16-17)
The Bible tells us that we should not trust in the things that the world believes to be our security, protection, or strength. However, men or women who do not perform well in the job are left behind in today’s competitive world. This is not only typical around the world, but many Christians also promote the importance of recognizing our strengths and encourage us to grow in them to do God’s will. Yet, throughout the Bible, we are discouraged from relying on our own powers. Instead, we are urged to trust the Lord completely.
God wants us to depend on Him, and He demonstrates this throughout Scripture. For example, in Judges 7, God did not allow Gideon to fight against another army until he reduced his army from 22,000 soldiers to just 300, so that Gideon could not boast about the strength of his army. In Joshua 6, God told Joshua to go around Jericho seven times and blow his trumpet instead of relying on his powerful army to conquer his enemy. In 2 Samuel 24, God judged David when he counted his soldiers to determine the size of his army’s strength, apparently because David took the census out of pride or overconfidence in the strength of his army.
On the other hand, Jesus instructed the disciples in due diligence through the parable of the builder, who was cautioned to consider the cost before beginning construction. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see whether he has enough money to finish it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees him will scoff at him and say, ‘This man began to build and is not able to finish'” (Luke 14:28-30).
Today, bring each project and endeavor before the Lord and ask Him for the strength and grace to accomplish it using both your natural gifts and God’s Spirit working together.
