Have Faith In God (Alone)

The two armies camped opposite each other for seven days, and on the seventh day the battle began. The Israelites killed 100,000 Aramean foot soldiers in one day. The rest fled into the town of Aphek, but the wall fell on them and killed another 27,000. Ben-hadad fled into the town and hid in a secret room. Ben-hadad’s officers said to him, “Sir, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. So let’s humble ourselves by wearing burlap around our waists and putting ropes on our heads, and surrender to the king of Israel. Then perhaps he will let you live.” So they put on burlap and ropes, and they went to the king of Israel and begged, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let me live!’” The king of Israel responded, “Is he still alive? He is my brother!” The men took this as a good sign and quickly picked up on his words. “Yes,” they said, “your brother Ben-hadad!” “Go and get him,” the king of Israel told them. And when Ben-hadad arrived, Ahab invited him up into his chariot. Ben-hadad told him, “I will give back the towns my father took from your father, and you may establish places of trade in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then Ahab said, “I will release you under these conditions.” So they made a new treaty, and Ben-hadad was set free. [1 Kings 20.29-34] 

This Ben-hadad is the one and the same that Asa previously made agreement with to protect Judah from Israel.

There was constant war between King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel. King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa’s territory in Judah. Asa responded by removing all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace. He sent it with some of his officials to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message: “Let there be a treaty between you and me like the one between your father and my father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone.” Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa’s request and sent the commanders of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Kinnereth, and all the land of Naphtali. [1 Kings 15.16-20]

It should be remembered that Asa was rebuked for having made this alliance, trusting in Ben-hadad's help instead of trusting in God alone:

At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, “Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the LORD your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram. Don’t you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and charioteers? At that time you relied on the LORD, and he handed them over to you. The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.” [2 Chronicles 16.7-9] 

And yet, here in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading we see that Ben-hadad has forsaken his agreement with Judah and is now allying himself with Israel! This is precisely why God demands that we trust in Him alone: man will not only let us down, but will turn against us depending upon his own circumstances.

Let me make this clear here: Compared to God, debt, insurance, medicine and technology, as inventions and systems of man, are all just as unreliable as Ben-hadad. They promise to deliver their "help" (at a price, mind you) until it no longer benefits them. That is why they should be seen and treated as idols. A faithful servant of the LORD should avoid them at all cost. 

A faithful servant of the LORD should avoid them at all cost??? How can anyone today avoid debt, insurance, medicine and technology??? Why, it would be absolute foolishness to think one could survive in this day and age without debt, insurance, medicine and technology! Right?

And yet, the Bible says:

The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.” [2 Chronicles 16.9]

It is imperative to understand the context of 2 Chronicles 16.9; that Asa idolatrously sought help outside of God. Period. No matter how much Asa could have reasoned that God gave the gold and silver to Judah (from the Temple of the LORD) to pay Ben-hadad, any question about that action being right or wrong was removed when Hanani rebuked Asa on behalf of God for doing so. Consequently, Judah remained at perpetual war and Ben-hadad eventually betrayed his alliance with Judah when his life was on the line after being captured by Israel.

God is reliable. Man and his inventions are not.

But, does this mean that we should not still utilize man and his inventions while being sure to give God all the glory? Asa's story and Hanani's Word from God should answer this question without doubt.

The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.” [2 Chronicles 16.9]

...And we marvel today that our lives, our nation, and the world are in such chaos while we emphatically declare, "But God uses debt, insurance, medicine and technology!" What part of fully committed to him supports that claim?

Our only bold declaration before God should be, "What a fool I have been to decidedly trust anyone or anything that can potentially fail me instead of trusting only You Who can and will never fail me!" This is infinitely more important in this Age of Grace when Jesus Christ demonstrated and demanded faith in God that defies all reason (thus negating our reasonable but pathetic defense of debt, insurance, medicine and technology):

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. [Mark 11.22-24]

Never have Jesus' words, "Have faith in God," been more needed to clear up man's current confusion (and hopelessness) about what is really God and what is just man's substitute to be like God. I, for one, do not ever want to hear God say, "What a fool you have been," for trusting in man and his inventions instead of trusting God alone (starting with faith in Jesus Christ alone for my salvation).

Go ahead, "reason" if you will, but remember this:

...it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. [Hebrews 11.6]

God's Word calls every one of us to pure undivided faith - reason has nothing to do with it because reason and logic are traits of man - and man can and will let us down. Only the world and faithless religion will argue otherwise. What does reason have to do with it anyway? Reason had nothing to do with Jesus walking on the water. Reason had nothing to do with Jesus calling Lazarus from his grave. Reason had nothing to do with Jesus telling us our faith could move mountains. Reason had nothing to do with Jesus offering Himself on the Cross. Instead, faith is what pleases God. It doesn't matter whether it's faith to selflessly live or faith to selflessly die, only obedient faith pleases God.

Father, what a fool I have been to decidedly trust anyone or anything that can potentially fail me instead of trusting only You Who can and will never fail me! I want rid of every idol in my life; every single thing I trust alongside or instead of You. May Your hand of mercy be upon me as I methodically and purposefully seek to forsake the idols that, like Ben-hadad, can and will let me down. I already feel the ire of the world, family and friends as I have made declarations and small steps in this direction. In the end, I need only Your approval though - Your commendation, "Well done good and faithful servant!" So be it.