Don't Lean On Your Own Strength and Knowledge! - Chess Forums

IsraelDavi_Pereira

Feb 26, 2025

0

#1

Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. (Psalm 127. 1-2)

Hello everyone! Today I wanted to talk about a small reflection on this psalm.

This psalm is very clear in its words. If God is not in our plans, projects and even contributing to our protection, we seek these things in vain. For example, imagine a man who built a great defense in his house and posted guards and watchmen to protect it. But if God is not his main defense, if his hope of safety is not in God, then there is no point in having so much security LOL.

This was a very extrapolating example. Let's take another one:

Imagine that a student wants to get very good grades, but his main security is not in God, but in his own knowledge. He can do everything well planned and well studied, but something can happen and take away his ability to study well and he won't get good grades.

The problem is that we always think that things will go according to OUR plan, but we forget that we don't know what might happen tomorrow. We rely on our own knowledge or strength, and there is always the possibility that something will get out of control, making all the effort put in beforehand in vain.

But when God is in our plans and projects, even if something goes wrong, it works out LOL.

And again, let's take some examples:

When King Hezekiah was being attacked by Sennacherib, King of Assyria, he sought God's help because clearly everything was getting out of control. God intervened and everything worked out.

Another example:

When the Israelites were in the desert, they began to run out of food. But God intervened and sent Manna.

Another example, but this one happened to me:

The cats in my house don't know how to leave and return home alone. So we always kept a close eye on everything so that they wouldn't leave the house. But one day one of the cats discovered a way that we would never have imagined. She was away from home for 4 to 5 days, but in the end it worked out, because God intervened.

We have to know that even with all our efforts, something can always get out of our control. That is why we need God and His protection and guidance, because nothing escapes His control. But pay close attention, this is when we take great care with everything. There is no point in spending lots of money on credit cards and then saying that if something goes wrong God will intervene because this is no longer something beyond our control, this is irresponsibility. Unless someone did this without choice...

The point is that we must always trust in God first, and in our effort and security second. Because without God, effort and security are useless. We must be responsible and manage our possessions very well and be careful with our actions. If something gets out of our control, let us remember that nothing gets out of God's control.

When we act irresponsibly and turn to God, it is no longer to ask for intervention for something that is out of our control, but a request for help to correct mistakes. And the problem is that when something gets out of our control, even when we act responsibly, when God intervenes it seems like nothing happened. But when we want to fix something because we act irresponsibly, God helps us solve the problem, but we are left with a feeling like "oh man, it could have been different".

So to sum up, act responsibly and put your trust solely and exclusively in God. If something gets out of YOUR control, remember that nothing gets out of HIS control. And don't act irresponsibly because you will have to fix a mistake.

Thank you all for the attention