Romans 3:27-28 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

Do you remember when you were young and you were putting together a puzzle with your mom or dad? The first 2 or 3 times you wanted all the help that you could get. Then all-of-a-sudden you became an expert in puzzle-putting-together. Do you remember what you said? “Let me do it!” You thought you had it down. Mom and Dad were now a problem and they were in your way of accomplishing the greatest feat to date. You were putting together the puzzle and nobody’s gonna stop you!!! WATCH IT NOW!!! YOU ARE ON FI-RAH! Corner, corner, corner, corner, edge, and a behind the back with the middle pieces. And after 25 pieces you were the ruler of all there was to know about puzzles!! You completely forgot that your parents pretty much helped you put the thing together hand-in-hand an hour ago. But it was all about you! You did it and nobody helped you!

It is amazing how much this sounds like my daily walk. Consistantly I find myself asking for God’s help in new things. I mean I want to grab His hand and do everything He does exactly like He does it. But it seems that after a few times of going through something, all of a sudden its about me and I think that I have done this enough that I can do it on my own. Sometimes I may even be right. I could do it by myself. But you know, I don’t feel whole. I don’t feel better on the other end. Sometimes I feel just the same or worse. The joy that comes with allowing Jesus to help you with the situation just isn’t there. I think that is what Paul is trying to say with these verses. “Where is the boasting about how YOU did it by yourself? There isn’t any boasting because your salvation, your job, your success, you lack of success, isn’t because you did anything. It’s only by God’s intervention that anything happens to you. YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD DOING IT FIRST!”