Faith or Foolishness

And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled. For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to accompany us and protect us from enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king, “Our God’s hand of protection is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him.” So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. [Ezra 8.21-23]

If only believers today were as concerned that their claims about God might contradict their actions otherwise!

God's people make many claims about God. They claim He is their "God" for one thing, but rarely seek His will. They claim He is their Healer and Provider, but strive to be "insured-up" to pay for the latest and greatest medical treatments available. They claim God is their Protector, but taunt their enemies with guns and ammunition. They claim God is their Provider but insist on toiling family-and-self-destructive hours to maintain a "standard of living." The list goes on and on. The hypocrisy of God's people is almost endless.  My hypocrisy is almost endless because I claim "God" as do so many others...

But isn't it time that we get serious about our claims?

The problem lies in the fact that so many God-followers are really just churchgoers. The teachings and promises of the Bible sound good and make for good emotional pep rallies, but when the application of our alleged faith in God is put to the test, our story changes and we make claims like, "Well, God uses Medicine!" Or, we make the claim, "God gave me a mind to use..."

Really? Why not just proclaim what the Bible teaches that God rules all!

Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God. [Psalm 20.7]

Consider this: When notified that a vast army from Edom was marching against Judah and Jerusalem, King Jehoshaphat received a Word from God through Jehaziel:

He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!” [2 Chronicles 20.15-17]

Mind you, this is ALL the instruction God gave through Jehaziel! But what did Jehoshaphat do?

After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: “Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!” [2 Chronicles 20.21] 

Why did Jehoshaphat put the singers out in front of the army? For the exact same reason that Ezra refused to ask the king for escorts to protect them - to demonstrate beyond human reasoning that God would indeed do what He said and that there would be no possible explanation otherwise!

How committed am I to God alone receiving the glory for my deliverance, protection, provision, healing, etc.? Is it faith or foolishness?

The Apostle Paul said this:

This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. [1 Corinthians 1.25]

And...

Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. [1 Corinthians 1.27]

The world says faith is foolishness. What say God's people?

Father, I sense Your calling to a life of undivided faith. I want to glorify You!