6 Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered. 7 God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth. 8 Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. 9 Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph." 10 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? 11 Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies? 12 Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. 13 With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

While God may use many methods, people, systems and even nature, it is he who is our strength. When we begin to depend on man (or woman) to be our helper we are destined for defeat.

Most of us would quickly say that we know this and would never replace God with man as our strength. Yet, we cannot count the number of marriages who place more trust and more hope in their spouse than they do in God. This is seen by those who are only faithful to God if their spouse is faithful. It is seen when we depend on our happiness and peace of mind being derived from the other partner. The fact is that all of us as marital partners fail. We disappoint each other; we let each other down by failing to be dependable 100% of the time. This is not to say that we are not trying or that we don’t want to be a perfect spouse. We are human and we fail.

This same principle is seen when we deposit our spiritual well being, our strength, and even our knowledge in our preacher, pastor, priest, spiritual leader, tradition or even in the Church. We report to God. The go-between is Jesus Christ. Both God and Jesus are said to live in us thru the Holy Spirit. We must never place our faith, and thus our eternal destiny, in another person. This does not mean that we are not to help strengthen, teach, encourage and lead each other. There is a place for those who teach and they are to be respected for their work but the final authority, power and help is only found in God. We study for knowledge and pray for wisdom. We open our hearts with the help of the Spirit to understand God’s truth.

O God, Father of love, comfort and strength, I ask today that you help me to open my heart to your Spirit and follow your bidding. Give me wisdom as I study your word so that I can make proper application and become more like you. Help me to yield my heart to your transforming power. Please don’t ever allow me to misplace my trust. Strengthen my faith in you, in your word, in your strength and in your help. In the name of Lord Jesus I pray.

May God bless each of us as we place our trust in him alone.