Today’s reading: Ezra 8; Philemon
I really appreciate the honest juxtaposition in Ezra 8 between knowing what God is capable of doing on your behalf and actually trusting Him to do it.
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.” So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.
How often am I in a position to exercise trust in the Lord, and instead of trusting Him fully, I say I trust Him, but then still put my practical backup plans in place in case He doesn’t come through?
Ezra clearly would have been more comfortable with an armed escort, and I really appreciate the Bible’s honesty about that. Even being an expert in the Scriptures, and therefore knowing all that God has done and promised to do for His people, Ezra would be more comfortable having the backup plan in case God doesn’t come through. What stopped him from having an escort wasn’t his unswerving faith, but the shame of admitting to the king that he didn’t fully trust that God would do what Ezra knew He could do.
A long trip like this through open country would have been worrisome enough, but Ezra is also taking with him piles of gold and silver from Artaxerxes himself! This is both more to account for to the king if Yahweh doesn’t protect them and it’s stolen, but also more of a potential target for thieves if someone leaked the info that that much wealth was being transported without an armed guard.
I fully understand why Ezra wanted a backup plan, and I also understand that position of not wanting to put a backup plan in place because it would betray how much you don’t trust God, but also still really wanting to have a backup plan in place.
I just really appreciate the honest picture we get here for Ezra struggling to trust what he knows his God is capable of.
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