SELF-DELIVERANCE

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil (Proverbs 3:5-7). Oswald Chambers advises, "Whenever God gives a vision to a saint, he puts the saint in the shadow of His hand, as it were, and the saint's duty is to be still and listen. . . . When God gives a vision and darkness follows, waiting on God will bring you into accordance with the vision He has given if you await His timing. Otherwise, you try to do away with the supernatural in God’s undertakings. Never try to help God fulfill His word." [1] In the book of Proverbs, Solomon warns us not to rely on our own fallible wisdom while trying to do God’s perfect will. God wants us to wait for His deliverance. His means of bringing us to spiritual maturity requires us to wait on His deliverance through adversity so that we will be able to discern the difference between our own self-deliverance and God’s authentic deliverance in our lives. It’s a paradox but it’s true: God often calls us to a ministry—then He deliberately thwarts our efforts to achieve our goals! We see it in the life of Moses. In obedience to God, Moses told Pharaoh, "Let my people go!" How did Pharaoh respond? He said, "Who is the Lord that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go." Again and again, Moses returned and demanded freedom for his people. Again and again, Pharaoh refused. God sent plague after plague upon the Egyptians. In response, Pharaoh hardened his heart and persecuted Moses and the people of Israel. So Moses complained to God, "You called me to go to Pharaoh, but You are not freeing the people!" Moses grew discouraged because God had called him to fulfill a vision—a dream of liberation for his people—and the vision seemed to die. But God was teaching Moses and the people of Israel to persevere, to obey, and to wait upon the Lord in patient trust for God’s perfect time for deliverance. [1] Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest: An Updated Edition in Today’s Language, ed. by James Reimann (Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 1992), entry for January 19.