Weekly Lesson 25

RELYING ON JESUS 

As Christians, if we rely on God and look to God in everything with a God-fearing heart, not only will we find help, but we will also yield twice the result with half the effort in doing things. Even more importantly, we’ll see many wondrous deeds of God and have more faith in Him. But how should we practice relying on God and looking to God? Here are three principles of practice that can help you learn to rely on Jesus.

Have Absolute Confidence in God’s Power and Rule Over All Things

In the Bible, “God appeared to Abram, and said to him, I am the Almighty God” (Genesis 17:1).

“My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: for as much as before him innocence was found in me; and also, before you, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So, Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found on him, because he believed in his God” (Daniel 6:22-23).

From these verses, we can see that God is almighty and that all things are in His hands. Only if we absolutely believe in God’s power and rule can we truly depend on Him. Take Daniel, for example. In danger, he believed that God is almighty, that He holds control over all things, including his own destiny and animals’ mind, and that without His permission, disasters would not happen to him. This tells us that if we want to depend on God in everything truly, we should first believe that God is almighty and all-knowing. He is the One who created the universe and all things and controls all things. That means the stars in the universe or the animals and people, living or dead, are in God’s hands and change according to His thoughts. With Him, there is nothing that cannot be done. Therefore, when facing some difficulties, as long as we truly depend on God and look to Him, He will work out our problems and settle our concerns, and we will see that His power is everywhere and that His will is everywhere.

Honor God and Rely on Him, Not Our Self

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).

“Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD”. (Jeremiah 17:5).

In these two verses, God is telling us to give God His place in our hearts and honor Him as great and not to place our trust in men or look to them for our strength. In the story of David and Goliath, Saul, the first king of Israel, got scared and would not fight when facing Goliath, the Philistine giant. He announced he would give his daughter to the man who killed Goliath and enrich him with great riches. This shows us that Saul did not trust God in his heart. As a result, he chose to rely on man’s power and abilities rather than God’s power and failed to see His strength or to obtain His approval. By contrast, David had a place for God in his heart and believed that God was almighty and that every person, no matter how strong they are, can be victorious if they rely on and place themselves in God’s hands. Having such faith, David could truly look to God and depend on Him. Finally, as young and small as David was, he defeated Goliath with God’s help, and Saul, along with all the Israelites, witnessed what can happen if we rely upon God’s power.

Have a Genuine Fellowship With God in Everything, and Rely on His Words to Stand Firm in All Things

We should have a genuine fellowship with God in everything; especially, when trials come our way, we should always pray to Him and look to Him without planning for our own. We should train our hearts and mind to satisfy Him and stand as a witness for Him. These are what His children are supposed to do. We also should be in the practice of relying on God and looking to God. When Job was deprived of his children and property, he spoke cautiously so he would not offend God. Afterward, he understood God’s will and then bowed down before Him to pray submissively, saying, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

From Job’s experience, we can see that it is important for us to come before God and pray as soon as the trial comes. In this way, we will receive His guidance and know His will, and then we can stand as a witness for Him. Otherwise, if we merely live in our misery, or rely upon our abilities, rather than pray and rely on God, we tie God’s hands. We then risk becoming Satan’s laughingstock.
If we live according to these principles above, we will know how to rely on and look to God truly. He will lead us to experience His power and protection in every part of our life.

Are you relying on God in all areas of your life? Are you relying on your own abilities or those of others instead of Jesus?

Go to Romans Road to Salvation and/or Prayer of Rededication

Christ Centered Champions

Christ Centered Champions

We are more than champions through him who loved us. Romans 8:37