I love to cook, I love the excitement of what I am going to make, the smells and the anticipation. But what I always forget is to read the recipe well. I read a little bit, skip a bit and just make it up as I go. I get bored of reading and think I’m sure it isn’t that hard and sometimes this ends up as a disaster- not often enough for me to feel I need to read it well.

I find that sometimes I have this approach in my Christian walk, I think I can do this- I don’t need any guidance or any help. I do my own thing, I forget to rely on God and sometimes I find myself falling flat on my face. As I was reading 2 Chronicles this morning it struck me that I am not alone. In 2 Chronicles there are a lot of battles as nations come and try to destroy God’s people. As I was reading this I was struck over and over again with the might and power of God. As God’s people got ambushed and attacked they cried out to Him and no matter how big the opposing army was God’s people won.

Then I read a sad account in 2 Chronicles 16:7-9 where king Asa who has always relied on God had instead turned to another king for help “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not the Lord your God… Were not the Cushites and Libyans a might army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord He delivered them into your hand.” And because of this God allowed him to learn that the only one who can be relied on, the only one who can be trusted, the only one who is powerful and can save us- is GOD!

How often do we forget to rely on God, how often do we forget when we are going through a hard time to call out to the only one who can actually save us? Be encouraged this week to take your troubles to Him.