Trusting Man

Many of you, without even reading the stories, are familiar with Sherlock Holmes.  Some will know of him from the recent movies that have come out starring Robert Downey Jr, but many have at least heard of the brilliant, and unstable, investigative hero from the 1800's. Readers and viewers alike love that he always ends up two steps ahead of the villain even when it doesn't look like it.  In my Victorian literature class, I learned that Sherlock emerged as a new kind of hero of the time.  Unlike heroes of the past who sported amazing battle strength or endued with skills from above, he was a hero whose skill lay in intellect alone.  He portrays an almost deified skill of deduction and reasoning that is baffling and awe-inspiring.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock, correctly read the feelings of the time to see that people were losing heart and faith.  Darwin's theory of evolution and the propagation of this theory, among other things, precipitated a time of doubt and insecurity in the minds of the British population.  For over a thousand years, there was no real doubt to the existence of God.  Now there was doubt, and the people were terrified.  If there is no God watching out for us, who will lead us?  Who will protect us?  And man's response when that which is worthy to be worshiped is removed, we will worship that which is not worthy. 

And, as usual, this isn't a new idea.  The turning of our hopes to man for help isn't something that developed in the last 100 years.  The Israelite people epitomize our very real tendency to turn to that which we can see with our eyes for help, even in spite of overwhelming evidence to the superior power available with God.  In many scenarios recorded in the Old Testament, the Israelites recognized their need for help--they just refused to bring their needs to God.  On this note, I will say that this blog is really a continuation of the same theme as the last blog, but with practical implications.  So now we know that we should not be ashamed or afraid of our weakness. This blog, hopefully, tells us what to do next.  

Psalm 37:5-6 says, "Commit your way to The Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noon day."

Our job in this aspect of our relationship is two-fold: we are to commit (meaning roll off onto God our ideas, troubles, burdens, decisions) and then we are to trust in Him and His ability to handle our difficulty (and many times this just means waiting until that perfect God moment).

God's job is simple--He does everything else. 

Our temptation is always to run to man or to man-made things to solve our problems and this is where we must evaluate ourselves.  When you have a problem, what do you do?  Turn to a friend maybe?

Or do you recognize immediately that this is an opportunity for God to work in your life--to utilize your admitted weakness in order to bring God glory?   The truth is unless you make an effort to bring your needs to God, unless you are inviting Him into your life in a real and tangible way--you are not really walking in relationship with God.  You are giving Him intellectual assent only.