“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)
Ezra served Cyrus the Persian king. The Israelites that had been captured by the Babylonians were in captivity seventy years under the kings Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar II, Belshazzar, Darius I, Cyrus and Artaxerxes. I’m not too sure of the order of these kings. But it was Cyrus who made a decree to rebuild Jerusalem. “In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;” (Ezra 6:3). Later Artaxerxes made a decree allowing those that wanted to return to Israel to do so. “Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. (Ezra 7:12,13)
Ezra proclaimed a fast for protection for the journey to Israel. He had boasted on God’s ability to protect them and was now ashamed to ask for soldiers and horsemen from the king for protection. It would have looked as not having confidence in God and no faith in God’s ability to care for His people.We also can get confused when we boast in our God. And well we should boast. He is Jehovah Provider, Jehovah Healer, the Almighty. “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) Jesus was talking about the salvation of man. But He didn’t limit God. He said all things are possible with God. We believe that but sometimes we doubt if that is the case in our situation. And when we doubt, we feel ashamed like Ezra felt in accepting natural help.
I will give you an example concerning healing. We believe in healing. Our God is the Lord Jireh, our Healer. That was Jesus’ whole ministry and the confirmation of Who He was. In the days of Jesus, He was confirming that He was the Messiah. Jesus still heals. But the problem is that we want a miracle. Jesus also confirmed He was the Messiah by miracles. Jesus is still in the miracle business. But if there is a natural way to heal we should take that route. In the days of Jesus there was no cure for sicknesses. So, what Jesus did proved Who He was. Today, God has provided medicine, surgeries and technology. In today’s world this is God’s provision. If there was no other way, the Lord would provide the miracle we needed. When we get sick, our confession is that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed according to 1Peter 2:24. And God will heal using what is available today to heal us. Some think it’s doubting God’s ability to heal but it isn’t. All knowledge and wisdom are from God. We live in an age where God’s knowledge and wisdom in healing some diseases has been revealed to man. We should not feel ashamed of using what He has provided for man in this day and age.
There is the parable of the drowning man also known as Two Boats and a Helicopter which illustrates our foolishness. I recount it here because it illustrates exactly what I’m trying to say:
A storm descends on a small town, and the downpour soon turns into a flood. As the waters rise, the local preacher kneels in prayer on the church porch, surrounded by water. By and by, one of the townsfolk comes up the street in a canoe. “Better get in, Preacher. The waters are rising fast.” “No,” says the preacher. “I have faith in the Lord. He will save me.” Still the waters rise. Now the preacher is up on the balcony, wringing his hands in supplication, when another guy zips up in a motorboat. “Come on, Preacher. We need to get you out of here. The levee’s gonna break any minute.” Once again, the preacher is unmoved. “I shall remain. The Lord will see me through.” After a while the levee breaks, and the flood rushes over the church until only the steeple remains above water. The preacher is up there, clinging to the cross, when a helicopter descends out of the clouds, and a state trooper calls down to him through a megaphone. “Grab the ladder, Preacher. This is your last chance.' Once again, the preacher insists the Lord will deliver him. And, predictably, he drowns. A pious man, the preacher goes to heaven. After a while he gets an interview with God, and he asks the Almighty, “Lord, I had unwavering faith in you. Why didn’t you deliver me from that flood?” God shakes his head. “What did you want from me? I sent you two boats and a helicopter.”
How many times does the Lord shake His head because we refuse what He’s already provided for us. We want a miracle. But the miracle has already been provided in God’s provision of medicines, surgeries and technological marvels. It’s all God’s provision for us today. The same is true for every need we may have. God has provided everything needed for every need on every occasion for everyone.
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