I've "discovered" the writings of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), our Sixteenth President. He is referred to as "our most eloquent" Commander in Chief. He said, "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day."
Probably none of us have faced issues of the magnitude he faced in attempting to repair a divided and war torn nation. But I trust we all have come to the place of knowing (again and again) that we are not adequate for what this life may bring to us. Hence, the compelling exhortation of Paul to "give ourselves totally to prayer...." That privilege and vital link is the only certainty we have to achieve God's best here.
I wonder how often, regular, or consistent we give ourselves to this. I've found for me that the sense of being / feeling overwhelmed is my "friend" that keeps driving me to that precious place of prayer and finding there the needed resources and manna that sustains.
I wonder how much I miss God because of the many other things that I can trust, and maybe things that are not so bad, yet not His best? Small things may seem insignificant, but we all know that they add up over time.
I ran across this quote from A. W. Tozer's book "Root of the Righteous":
"It would be better to invite God now to remove every false trust, to disengage our hearts from all secret hiding places and to bring us out into the open where we can discover for ourselves whether or not we actually trust Him. That is the harsh cure for our troubles, but it is a sure one. Gentler cures may be too weak to do the work. And time is running out on us." - A.W. Tozer
Knowing the urgency of the days in which we live, may we all discover the secret of trusting in Him...and Him alone.
As Vance Havner once said, "Shipwrecked on His omnipotence",
Mitch
