There were 44,760 capable warriors in the armies of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They were all skilled in combat and armed with shields, swords, and bows. They waged war against the Hagrites, the Jeturites, the Naphishites, and the Nodabites. They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him. So the Hagrites and all their allies were defeated. [1 Chronicles 5.18-20]
This day's One Year Chronological Bible reading contains some genealogical updates current to the time when Israel went into exile under Nebuchadnezzar. Included in this genealogy is the passage above that accounts for a particular battle where the Israelites, "cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him."
How simple is that? In their need, they prayed and, because they trusted God, He answered them.
There was no great fanfare. No long backstory. Just prayer in faith. God moved on their behalf.
This reminds me of the time Jesus was amazed at a man's faith...
When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! [Matthew 8.5-10]
When we come to God in simple confidence because we know Who He Is, what He is capable of, and that His power is ours for the asking, we too can experience victories.
The sentence above sounds too easy, doesn't it? I will be so bold as to say the reason it sounds too easy is because our eyes are blind, our ears are deaf, and our hearts are hard with the indoctrination of our idols. God warned of this very thing:
Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.4-8]
The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 135.15-18]
The world's complicated solutions (idols), make God's simple solutions sound incredible. Consequently, when we pray, we often feel compelled to tell God how He should remedy our need... "God, please use the doctors..." or "God, help me get this loan..." or "God, please help me pay my insurance premiums" or "God, use man's latest technology..."
When we pray, God wants our simple childlike confidence in Him to manifest. He certainly doesn't want or need us to tell Him how to meet our need. God answers our prayers because we trust in Him - not because we draw out a map for Him to follow.
"It all just sounds too easy," are words of doubt. They are words of pride. And yet, God specifically said:
“I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me? [Jeremiah 32.27]
Do we ever stop to consider why Jesus' words were so simple when He healed people? We should!
Father, may I be aware of the simplicity of faith today. Help me to stop trying to tell You how to answer my prayers. Help me to expect the unexpected. Help my simple faith overcome the complicated idolatry all around me. May Your power manifest because You are God, not because I pray an elaborate prayer. So be it.
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