No matter how grand our vision, no matter how ambitious our plans for this new year, there is only so much we can do. Those who are successful ultimately have to learn the difference between areas where they have full control, some control and no control. If you take responsibility and fret over things you have no control over, you’re bound to squander the areas where you actually can make a difference.

In the Christian walk, this concept is important when it comes to God. The real blessings of walking with Christ cannot be produced by human effort. You need God to come through. Today, we are on psalm 40 and in this psalm, David highlights this truth. He starts off by saying, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”(verses 1-2) David knew that apart from God showing up, he was in trouble. So, how does this apply to you and me? Here are some examples when it comes to the difference between what I can do, and what I need God to do:

I can pray…but I can’t make my prayers get answered.

I can read God’s word…but I can’t make the words supernaturally change my heart.

I can pray that God uses me to impact lives for eternity…but I need God to work through me.

I can confess sin…but I can’t personally manufacture the power to change myself from the inside out.

I’m sure you get the idea. The list could go on and on. When I was younger, I liked to believe that I didn’t need anyone or anything. I wanted to think that it didn’t matter what the obstacle or challenge was, I could somehow figure out a way to overcome by relying on my own resources. Someone who actually believes that just hasn’t lived long enough. Truly successful people have a list a mile long of people on whose shoulders they are standing. Most importantly, they have a radical dependence on God that has been tried and tested through life’s peaks and valleys.

So, where in your life do you NEED God to show up? If there is no area where you feel like you need him to show up, chances are that you’re not truly trusting him. God has called us to live in such a way where we are dependent on him. Only by rejecting that invitation can we live lives that are solely dependent on our own strength and capacity. I want to get to the end of 2015 and see a year that was only possible by the gracious hand and support of my Heavenly Father. What about you?