Resources/Articles
Trying To Do Without God
Jeremiah 10:23 says, “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps”. The preposition “in” refers to “man”, and the principle thing is, it is not “in man” to direct his steps. We are not self-sufficient, autonomous beings. We are not a law unto ourselves. We are not wise enough or strong enough to do without God. But we try! And we have found out some of our problems have gotten worse because we try to “go it alone” without God.
Have you noticed how easy it is to be discouraged or depressed? Can you tell how much you rely upon yourself and nothing else? In either case, you have seen how it is to do without God. You might “get by” on your own intelligence, wealth, or ego for a while, but until you humbly realize your necessity for God’s guidance and grace, you will never have a better life. It is man that burdens his own life, not God (1 John 5:3).
Paul noted God’s faithfulness (1 Corinthians 1:9), consistency (Hebrews 13:8), and abiding presence (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) as the key to each step of his life. He also proclaimed the strength of Christ as the power he needed to “do all things” (Philippians 4:13). You and I can see how important that is for our own life. Who holds the direction to your next step? God or you? Jeremiah was right. Without God, life ends up being much less than it could be with Him.
