Complete Reliance on God Psalm 118

From Psalm 118 and Precept Austin Commentary

There is only one way to obey Paul's charge to continually be thankful and that is by jettisoning self-reliance and relying wholly on the Holy Spirit. Note that we don't just need a little help, like we are moving in the right direction in our natural strength and we just need a little spiritual push. Our natural self does not seek to give gratitude but goes for "grabbing!". In short, we don't need a "little help" from our Friend, the Spirit. We need Him to enable us, to give us the "want to," or the desire to give thanks and praise, and then the spiritual energy to follow through. This vitally important spiritual principle is summarized by Paul his exhortation to the saints at Philippi to "Work out your salvation in fear and trembling (this is our responsibility to make this choice continually), for it is God who is in you both to will and to work to His good pleasure. The New Living Translation says it even more clearly "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power (God's part) to do (our part) what pleases Him. (Phi 2:13 NLT) Who is "God...working in you?" Clearly, this is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the One the Son asked of the Father and the Father sent to indwell us forever and provide the supernatural power necessary to live the Christ life, the so-called "Victorious Christian Life," the life which Jesus described as "Abundant Life." John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they amay have life, and 1have it abundantly.