"For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and
horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto
the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek Him;
but His power and His wrath is against all them that forsake Him."
Ezra 8:22
"A convoy on many accounts would have been desirable for the pilgrim
band, but a holy shame-facedness would not allow Ezra to seek one. He feared lest the heathen king should think
his professions of faith in God to be mere hypocrisy, or imagine that the God
of Israel was not able to preserve His own worshippers. He could not bring his mind to lean on an arm
of flesh in a matter so evidently of the Lord, and therefore the caravan set
out with no visible protection, guarded by Him who is the sword and shield of
His people. It is to be feared that few
believers feel this holy jealousy for God; even those who in a measure walk by
faith, occasionally mar the lustre of their life by craving aid from man. It is a most blessed thing to have no props
and no buttresses, but to stand upright on the Rock of Ages, upheld by the Lord
alone. Would any believers seek state endowments for their Church, if they
remembered that the Lord is dishonoured by their asking Caesar's aid? As if,
the Lord could not supply the needs of His own cause! Should we run so hastily to friends and
relations for assistance, if we remembered that the Lord is magnified by our
implicit reliance upon His solitary arm?
My soul, wait thou only upon God. "But," says one, "are
not means to be used?" Assuredly,
they are; but our fault seldom lies in their neglect: far more frequently, it
springs out of foolishly believing in them instead of believing in God. Few run too far in neglecting the creature's
arm; but very many sin greatly in making too much of it. Learn, dear reader, to glorify the Lord by
leaving means untried, if by using them thou wouldst dishonour the name of the
Lord."
—Morning and Evening -
C.H. Spurgeon
This passage from Ezra
speaks of an ominous challenge. It
speaks of a time when King Artaxerxes sent Ezra to Jerusalem to present
offerings to God and to restore the articles of worship there. There were vast
amounts of silver and gold to be carried there, literally tons of each. The
road to Jerusalem was quite dangerous as bandits often preyed on travelers. Ezra
could have asked the king for an armed escort but he had spoken to the king of
His confidence in the Lord's provision and protection.
What is it that you fear?
Do you have the confidence to trust in God alone, not seeking to manipulate the
situation by asking for help from human means? When I think of this, the
lottery comes to mind. Some people trust the lottery to provide for their needs
and wants more so than they trust God, who is Jehovah Jireh, (Hebrew for "Our God Who Provides"). Now, I am not condemning those who
play the lottery for fun, as long as they are not robbing the family of money
that should be spent on essentials of living. Additionally, we must certainly do
our part to provide for our family, and ourselves but, in doing so, is there an
implicit trust that God will provide? Another area of trust that comes to mind
is in the area of borrowing. Do we too quickly turn to the bank instead of
waiting, saving and trusting the Lord to provide in His own good time rather
than having a "Got to Have It Now" attitude? I have seen churches'
building programs done both ways. I think those who waited and trusted God to
provide the necessary funds rather than the bank have enjoyed a special sense
of blessing. (Here, I mean no offense to you bankers out there!) I think it honors God to trust him by our
careful stewardship of His resources to provide in such a manner.
I must admit that I,
sometimes, take my eyes off Jesus and my trust in Him and focus on the
"waves" of life that are crashing around me. Then, I can almost see
His forlorn smile as He reaches down and picks me back up when I cry out to
Him, "Lord, save me."
Seriously, do we really
believe He has our best interests in mind? Do we really trust Him and Him alone
for our provision and protection? Just
some thoughts….
Net Work News
and Needs
Our Friday Group is
discussing the book "One Nation" by Dr. Ben Carson.
I meet individually
with men for breakfast and lunch for counsel and encouragement.
We are planning a men's
weekend retreat for the first weekend in October.
We are grateful to you
for the prayer and financial support of the ministry.