¹ We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us [what] work You did in their days, in the days of old.² You drove out the nations with Your hand and it was Your power that gave [Israel] a home by rooting out the [heathen] peoples, but [Israel] You spread out.

³ For they got not the land [of Canaan] in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your countenance [did it], because You were favorable toward and did delight in them.

⁴ You are my King, O God; command victories and deliverance for Jacob (Israel).⁵ Through You shall we push down our enemies; through Your name shall we tread them under who rise up against us.

⁶ For I will not trust in and lean on my bow, neither shall my sword save me.⁷ But You have saved us from our foes and have put them to shame who hate us. ⁸ In God we have made our boast all the day long, and we will give thanks to Your name forever. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! -- Psalm 44:1-8, AMPC

So many times, i've tried to do things myself.  However, usually I thought I had a direction after I prayed, and started on a course, and sometimes things have gone great, and sometimes they have not.  Sometimes I've gotten exactly what I wanted, sometimes, I've gotten a lot of things I never, ever wanted.

But beyond all of that, my Father God has always been faithful to rescue me, help me, teach me, and make miracles, when needed, out of my messes. GREAT IS THE FAITHFULNESS AND MERCY OF OUR GOD, WHO IS LOVE (I John 4:8)! 

As the Word states in verse 3, it is the hand and arm and favor of God that gets us the land--as in, Promised Land; the best our dear Daddy God has for us! We can't get it ourselves; otherwise, why would we need the LORD? He is the awesome God, and when we wait on and cooperate with Him, we will get the best He has for our lives!

This almost always involves self-reflection and repentance. Jesus was the ONLY One Who never sinned! The rest of us are to live in the humility of continual repentance; not that we sin every day! But I mean to be open to correction, with grace and appreciation, and the knowledge that we are God's Improvement Projects! He loves us and the Holy Spirit within us (once we receive Christ Jesus as Savior) is working daily to gently reveal to us things and habits we need to shed, and things and habits we need to adopt, in order to be more like our precious Savior. 

So when we try to do things ourselves, we often mess up, sometimes royally. Ask me how I know! However (and this is a perfect place to use that word!), the LORD Who sees the end from the beginning--Who knows every moment of our lives, as an eagle looks down on a town or racetrack--goes ahead of us and works out everything for our best and His glory.  He is so good! He works with what He can in our lives to bring as much good as He can, as quickly as He can, out of every situation.

If we are going against His Word in an area or areas, He is limited! His Grace is still amazing! Anyway, that's another teaching.

But you can just ask the LORD to reveal to you where you've been trying to do things yourself, and He will show you. It may take a few hours, days, or weeks, but He will make it clear to you. Rest in Him, thank and worship Him and remember that every good thing in your life--and there are many!--comes from Him!  He will help you accomplish what you are on earth to do. Be assured of that!

Let Him be God. Things will go better, even though it may seem a strange process, or be difficult at times. But be assured that your loving Father is always working allllllllllll things together for your best and His glory--because He loves you!

Through books, courses, presentations, service, prayer, worship, and more, Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. Her series for girls, P.O.W.E.R. GIRL ADVENTURES, is now out (books I-V), along with LEGACY; YOUR HOLY HEALTH: VISIONS OF THE KING, and more. See the "River Rain Creative" YT channel.