Where Is Your Dependence?

As I continue to deal with storms at work, I keep going back to the Bible for guidance. What is funny is how certain verses or passages pop up in unusual places to give me the encouragement I need. Just a few minutes ago, as I was scrolling through my notes for future posts, I came across the some verses (Psalm 33:13-22) that remind me where my dependence should be.

For context, let’s look at verses 13-15 first.

13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
He observes everyone.
14 He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth
from His dwelling place.
15 He alone shapes their hearts;
He considers all their works.

Here The Lord is looking down from heaven and it is clear He is complete and total control. He is observing us and considering our works.

Then come the key verses (16-19) for us…

16 A king is not saved by a large army;
a warrior will not be delivered by great strength.
17 The horse is a false hope for safety;
it provides no escape by its great power.
18 Now the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him—
those who depend on His faithful love
19 to deliver them from death
and to keep them alive in famine.

Let’s break that down a little so we do not miss a single morsel of value from it!

1. A king is not saved by a large army.

There are numerous accounts throughout Scripture and other historical accounts of kings being soundly defeated despite having the advantage of a larger army.

The lesson here is that we cannot depend on the apparent strength of our company to save us in tough times (or good ones!). If we place our dependence on the strength of our company, we risk failure.

2. A warrior will not be delivered by great strength.

Just like above, too often the strong warrior has gone down despite appearing invincible. Just consider at Goliath. God is clearly telling us here that we are not to rely on our own strength to win the day.

We may be brilliant in business or in our specific field, but we are not God. There are too many factors that are out of our control. We should not place our dependence on our own strength.

3. The horse is a false hope for safety.

The horse was a great advantage in battle for centuries. If you were on a horse, it was much less likely that you would be killed. Unfortunately, even this advantage is not enough to guarantee safety.

What is your horse? Do you have a can’t-miss product or service that you feel can carry the day and keep you out of financial trouble for years to come? Maybe your horse is a portfolio of “solid” real estate investments from 5-10 years ago? If so, I am sorry, but I think you get the message. Do not place your dependence there!

4. (The horse) provides no escape by its great power.

Though we addressed the horse above, this line actually takes the advice a step further. Not only does the horse not provide safety, now we are told it provides NO escape.

This is kind of like an exclamation point on the previous line. Just in case we did not get a clear enough picture in the first line, the second line comes along to blow away all the smoke. Obviously, our “horse” is not where we want our dependence!

Rest of the Picture

So, what is the rest of the picture? Other than telling us what NOT to do, what is the author saying?

I think the next two verses (18-19) will answer your question!

18 Now the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him—
those who depend on His faithful love
19 to deliver them from death
and to keep them alive in famine.

He Wants Dependence On Him

These verses give us a picture of what God is looking for. God is seeking out those who fear Him – who place their entire dependence on Him and His provision. God wants us to seek Him for deliverance from death and provision in famine.

A similar verse (also one of my favorites) is found in 2 Chronicles 16:9…

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

He Wants Dependence In ALL Areas

A consistent theme throughout my blog is that we must be FULLY committed to God. Our FULL dependence must be on Him. We cannot say that we are committed to him and only include him in our church life.

He must be our focus throughout every segment of our lives. Obviously, my passion is about teaching others how to do just that in the marketplace. I hope you are inspired to begin this very journey.

He may ask you to get your feet wet from time to time, but I promise you it is worth it!