Depending On God – 5 Keys To A Blessed Life

Matthew 5:3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (NIV)

Or, to say it using other translations:

NLT – “God blesses those who realize their need for Him.”

GW – “… who recognize they are spiritually hopeless.”

CEV – “… who depend only on Him.”

NCV – “… who know they have great spiritual needs …”

Depending on God leads to a blessed life.  That may sound simplistic or trite.  Or maybe it sounds counter-intuitive.  How can we have a blessed life when we are depending on God, basically saying we have little and need God’s help?  Being blessed means we don’t have needs, right?  It means we have what we need, and therefore don’t need God’s help – right?

Merriam Webster defines BLESSED as:  “of or enjoying happiness” and “bringing pleasure, contentment, and good fortune.”

So how can depending on God fill us with happiness, pleasure, and contentment?

Psalm 146:5 says “The Lord God blesses everyone who trusts Him and depends on Him.”

So being poor in spirit means I humbly depend on God instead of myself.  I realize and accept I am not able to fill all my own needs in my own strength and resources, so I am depending on God to meet those needs.

Here are five ways to express my dependence on God.

I depend on God’s wisdom, not mine

I realize God’s wisdom is higher than mine will ever be.  My mind is finite, while the mind of God is infinite.  My earthly human wisdom is never going to be a match for God’s wisdom, and I will never fully understand God’s plan and purpose for my life this side of heaven.

Proverbs 14:122 – “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”  (NIV)

Proverbs 3:5-7 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek His will in ALL you do, and He will direct your paths.  Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.  Instead, respect the Lord and turn your back on evil.”  (NLT)

James 1:5 – “If any of you lack wisdom, you should pray and ask God, who gives it generously and graciously to all.”  (NIV)

I depend on God’s strength, not mine

Regardless of how strong I *** think *** I may be, God is stronger.  It doesn’t matter if I work out everyday to improve my physical strength, run marathons and triathalons, etc.  My strength will always fail at some point.  My physical strength is limited.  I can only carry so much – physically, mentally, and emotionally.  My body is designed to only stand so much, and then it begins to give out.  But God provides strength to us in many ways when ours is exhausted.  When we are about to give up and throw in the towel, we can rely on God to keep us going.

Isaiah 40:31 – “Those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed.  They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak.”  (TEV)

Psalm 71:16 – “I walk in the strength of the Lord.”  (LB)

Psalm 73:26 – “My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart.  He is mine forever!”  (NLT)

I depend on God’s timing, not mine

Remember – while you are waiting, God is working.  Just because we don’t see the results we want (or think we should see) when we think we should have them, doesn’t mean God is not on the job.  We get impatient with God when He doesn’t come through for us in the timely manner we want.  Our concept of time is limited and earthly, while God’s is infinite and heavenly.  He sees the whole picture of our lives, spread out before Him.  What we feel is in our best interest at this present time may not be what’s best for us in the long run.

As parents, we teach our children the concept of delayed gratification – waiting for something may provide the best result.  We teach them to fight against impatience.  Then we turn around and expect God to provide everything on OUR timetable.  It can be frustrating when we are depending on God for everything, and waiting for our prayers to be answered, but that’s how it works.

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “God has set the right time for everything.”  (TEV)

A delay is not a denial.  God may not be saying “No” – He may just be saying “Wait.”

Micah 7:7 – “I trust the Lord God to save me, and I will wait for Him to answer my prayer.”  (CEV)

I depend on God’s defense, not mine

God is more powerful than we can imagine.  He is able to protect and defend us in ways we can’t even fathom.  His love for us is greater than we can understand, and His ability to keep us safe matches that love.  Just as we as parent’s would do anything and everything to protect our children, God does the same for His children.

Psalm 62:5-7 – “I depend on God alone; I put my hope in Him.  He alone protects and saves me; He is my defender, and I shall never be defeated.  My salvation and honor depend on God; He is my strong protector; He is my shelter!”  (TEV)

I depend on God’s wealth, not mine

My ability to acquire wealth is nothing when compared to God’s wealth.  God “owns the cattle on a thousand hills” – all that we see, and all that has ever been has come from God.  His resources are limitless.  Everything on this earth is at His disposal, and He can use it all in whatever way He chooses.  We think that we as humans can acquire great wealth and treasure, but it ultimately belongs to God.  He created it, He provides it for a season, and He can redistribute it all at any time He chooses.

Philippians 4:19 – “And my God will supply all my needs from His abundant wealth because of what Christ Jesus has done for us.”

My job is provided by God.  He has given me the talents and skills I possess, and given me the job I have in order to provide for me and for my family.  If He chooses to take this job away, and give me a new one, He can do that.  If He chooses to take this job away, and provide for us in some other way, He can do that, too.  But I can always trust He will be able to provide for me and for my family.

My job is a channel God uses to bless me, but I need to remember that God is ultimately the source of all I have been given.

It may seem scary to depend on God sometimes.  In a world where we are encouraged to “go it alone” and “depend only on yourself”, it’s often seen as foolish to depend on God.  But whether we admit it or not, we ARE ALWAYS depending on God.  We may claim to be handling things on our own, but if we would just get rid of our human pride we would realize God is the source of all we do, all we are, and all we have.

We are already completely dependent upon God – shouldn’t we just admit it, and accept His blessings and peace!?!?

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