September 10, 2022
Daily Devotion:
"Risk It All Leap of Faith... "
Ezra 8:22-23
New International Version
22 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.
Doesn't the adage wisely warn us not to put all our eggs in one basket? Better to hedge our bets and put some of our eggs in another basket...just in case. Doesn't it simply make sense to have a backup plan? So when it comes to trusting in God, is there any reason not to exercise prudence? Surely God does not want us to be silly about our faith. To throw all caution to the wind. To let go of the steering wheel believing that God will guide us safely down the highway around every curve and bend! We can understand, then, that Ezra's first thought was to ask for soldiers to accompany his band of people who were about to embark on a journey rife with danger from deadly enemies. Given the obvious threat, it would have been a wise precaution. Yet Ezra also knew that, after all his talk about God's protective hand, asking for such protection would send the wrong signal to skeptical nonbelievers. If Ezra's God was able to protect him, why would he need soldiers?
One simply has to believe that Ezra's subsequent prayer for God's protection was uttered in sheer terror. With the courage that only profound faith can muster, Ezra was putting all his eggs in one basket! When was the last time you and I put everything on the line because of our faith? When did we refuse to hedge our bets, trusting God completely with our very lives? It's one thing to talk big about God's protection and provision, but another thing altogether to make that risk-it-all leap of faith.
The embarrassing question is: How often do I pray for God's protection, then put my reliance for protection in any and everything but God?
