After the release of Article 020, “Are you available?” (2 Sep 2020), I received the following response from my friend, Tony… he said, “Yes, it’s true that God has a part and we have a part. Yet when I process this, I note the things that trouble me the most are when I take on God’s part of provision, direction, guidance, and adequacy, instead of doing my part – obedience, trust, faithfulness, and submission.” 

Friends, far too many believers head off in various directions, trying to manage their lives naively thinking they can succeed as independent beings. Well, if this is you, consider this sobering truth: Human beings are created by God to live and thrive as dependent beings, not as lone-rangers. Although at birth, the cutting-away of the umbilical cord separates us from a physical dependency from our mother’s womb, we should not think that we can now succeed in life by going-it-alone. When the ‘physical cord’ was cut our greatest need became a life-connection with our creator God through His ‘spiritual cord’. As true-life is in God, we need to depend on Him if we are to experience meaning, purpose, fulfilment, and satisfaction in life. Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). 

God is not a divine ‘sugar-daddy’, happy to dole-out favours, willy-nilly, as we go our own separate ways. The Universe is God’s creation. The sun, moon, and stars have been set in place for a particular purpose. And, because they function in accordance to His design, life on early is possible. Likewise, if we choose to function in accordance to our Creator’s design, life for us will go better than we can imagine. We have a part to play before God will play His part. The part God expects of each of us to play is simply stated in Proverbs 3:5-6… Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do and He will show you which path to take.”

Lesley also responded to ‘Are you available – Part I’… she commented: “One of God’s specialties seems to be to rescue us… but we have to be willing and avail-able to be used by Him to carry out His mission. We all have a mission – a unique one at that – and when we find that place we cannot be in a better position than to permit Him to perform the miraculous through us… There’s no sweeter place to be!”

Friends, if you avail yourself to God and live completely dependent upon Him then through obedience and trust, He will be your able in all of life’s challenges – your needs of guidance, provision, protection, security, peace, and more will be your experience!

Best wishes

Bill Joukhadar