God Doesn’t Want Us to “Got This”

Posted on April 8, 2020 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters

“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.” Exodus 13:21 (NKJV)

With so many interesting and colorful phrases that have been invented over the many centuries that man has been on the earth, there’s one that conveys playful confidence in one’s self, “I Got This”. In little ways the phrase is used to say “I can pay for the meal”, “I can do this task”, “I can face this challenge” all said without using “all by myself” at the end of the phrase. Basically, what we are saying when we express the “I got this” phrase is “I have this under control”. Now maybe that flies in Secularland and folks applaud it but when it comes to Kingdom living, we were never created to “Got This”.

 

Our Bibles are full of examples where the “I Got This” phrase turned around and bit back. I think about how King Saul, in his panic to keep the support of his people, decided that he would make the offerings that Samuel the prophet was anointed to do. In 1 Samuel 13: 9a we’ll read, “So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and a peace offering here to me” and then Saul said, “I got this”. Granted, this wasn’t the way it was written in Scripture but it’s sure implied, isn’t it? And as you continue to read the chapter, we’ll see that Saul’s “I got this” came with some costly consequences. So, in reality, “I got this” wasn’t a good idea. However, there is a moment where we do see what happens when God has “Got This”.

 

Many of us know this story. The Israelites are in bondage to slavery in Egypt and Moses is charged with God’s work of deliverance. Ten plagues later and a Pharaoh’s insistence that they, “Rise up, get out from among my people”, Moses will guide the nation of Israel through the wilderness. Now the Israelites weren’t exactly in favor of both sides of the issue. Being slaves wasn’t a good career choice and yet packing up and heading into the wilderness to seek out the Promised Land came with its apprehensions. But there was one thing they didn’t count on and that was the God of their forefathers was already there.

 

Chapter 14 of the Book of Exodus is one of God’s most powerful moments in Biblical history. He tells Moses that He is gonna set up His people by allowing Pharaoh to chase after them as they have wandered through the wilderness and are camping out by the Red sea. You can read the dialogue that goes back and forth for yourself but at a pivotal moment, God will say to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.” (Exodus 14:15b) Then that pillar that’s been leading them through the wilderness suddenly goes behind them, and as it darkens the path for the Egyptians, it’ll illuminate the path for the Israelites, the Red Sea will open up and Israel will be saved.

 

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.” (Psalm 46:10-11)

 

It’s funny how this Psalm was written much later down the timeline, it might have been comforting to Israelites but they still needed an example that reinforced the God of Jacob is their refuge…just like we do. Every so often, in our own lives, we get a Red Sea moment to remind us that we don’t “Got This”. Granted, stuff comes our way that’s easy to deal with and maybe we do “Got This” but if all that does is boost our own self-reliance then we’re gonna get got, then whatcha gonna do? Turn to Moses and say, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?” May that not be so!

 

In the beginning, when God created us, He didn’t go, “Let Us make man in Our image, and let them rule over things because they “Got This”. On the contrary, Scripture will tell us He’ll go looking for what was created in His image, in the cool of morning and ask, “Where are you?” That’s when we get got, because if we had really “Got This” then things wouldn’t have fallen. But God wouldn’t go that far, to do so little. That’s not who He is. From that moment onward we’ll be shown who has what and then we have to conclude we don’t “Got This”. When all has been heard we’ll be reminded to “fear God and keep His commandments”, anything else is just vanity of vanities. Amen?

 

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) has been married for 25+ years (Kathy), has a married son (Kevin) and a daughter in college (Karen). He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008. You can email him at cphughes515@verizon.net


Think About This: “The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.” — Dr. Billy Graham

 The Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 18-22| You can download our 2020 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here. 

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. – Proverbs 1:7

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the doctrinal and theological views held by America’s Keswick.

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