I stood by the elevator door, pushed the “up” arrow, and waited.
Although unfamiliar with what makes an elevator work, when the door opened, I stepped on, pushed button number three, and believed it would take me where I needed to go. And it did.
Elevator systems are in hospitals, medical offices, shopping malls, and motels. Yet most of us step into them without wondering if they will work. We don’t stand by the door trembling, wondering if they are safe. Instead, we rely on them to do what they do. Because of our experience with elevators, we trust them—or not.
Vehicles are another thing we rely on. We get into them and believe they will take us to our destination. Occasionally we find a dead battery or a flat tire, but with proper maintenance, we typically get to where we desire.
Judah was God’s chosen people. When they relied on God, He proved faithful to them. They could trust Him. But when they relied on themselves, they got into trouble. Throughout the Old Testament, God intervened for His people. He parted the Red Sea to save them from the Egyptians and crumbled the Jericho walls so that the people could conquer the city. He told His people to obey Him, and He would care for them.
We can rely on ourselves for some things and on friends for others. But God is the most reliable. If we obey the Lord, He will work on our behalf. He is trustworthy. He may not always give us what we want, but He works on our behalf for our ultimate good. We can live a victorious life by relying on God.
Step out in faith. God is working to give you victory.
(photo courtesy of pixabay.com.)
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Phyllis Qualls Freeman is a freelance writer with twenty years’ experience and more than four hundred published devotions, magazine articles, and newspaper human-interest pieces. She lives near Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Answered Prayers, and several anthologies. She writes devotions on assignment and enjoys mentoring new writers.