This scenario plays out in many various ways, but the same principle holds true- faith without preparation. I am a firm believer in faith, and know that God can do the impossible. In fact, He has done the impossible for me many times over, so I've personally experienced the truth of it. That said, I also firmly believe that God wants us to prepare with good sense. We should be responsible with what He has entrusted us with, and make choices that will help us when we are in trouble.
The situation our world is facing right now is one that calls us to both faith, and preparedness. Faith that God is in control, and always has been. Faith that He will is my Helper and Friend. Faith that He will work all things out for good- because scripture promises us this. But we also want to be prepared. Being prepared doesn't necessarily mean we buy all the toilet paper, but it is wise to make preparations for the unknown circumstances of our immediate future. And it always helps to know that while the future isn't known by us, it is known by Him. And so we have this constant balance of faith and preparation- a mix that gives security to our families, and a hope to the anxious soul.
This situation made me think of the Israelites, and how they faced the same balance. The Lord provided for their daily needs in the wilderness by giving them fresh manna each day (a small, round, white substance they used to bake bread). They were to only collect what they needed for that day, yet some of them felt greedy and lacked faith that He would provide the next day, so they took more than their share. What happened to the excess? It rotted, and was useless. Their disobedience to gather more than they needed ended up in a smelly basket of rotten manna. Did God want them to prepare? Yes, but He also wanted them to obey and trust Him to provide for their needs the next day as well.
The purpose of this post isn't to scold anyone for buying more than our daily needs, but rather to remind us of the importance of both preparing for the future, and believing that God is in control. 100 rolls of toilet paper won't eliminate the fact that I still need God. We can, and should prepare, but we still need God every second of every day. Whether we are in times of plenty, or leaner times, God wants us to trust Him- yet all while being wise. This is true in our marriages, our careers, our home life, our parenting- every single sphere! So while this virus can cause us to feel uncertain and fearful, we can choose to push away the fear and allow our faith to lead us to a better place. We will do what we can to prepare for tomorrow, trusting that God will be there, just as He's here today. And sometimes, this is just the faith exercise that I need to remember Who He is, and witness His great power in not only my own life, but the whole world.
Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8 (ESV)
That your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:5 (ESV)
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 (ESV)
Dear heavenly Father, we thank You for providing for us, and for seeing to our needs. We ask for forgiveness for our oftentimes lack of faith, and pray that even in this time, our faith would be increased. May we not only witness Your power, but may others see it in me. In Your name we pray, Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment