There is an old saying, variously attributed in origin, along the lines of, “Trust the Lord, and keep your powder dry.” Though it’s said tongue in cheek, it would help us to recognize the wisdom. It tells us no contradiction exists between the two.
Almost everyone has heard the story of the guy caught in a flood who turned down help. If you haven’t heard it, details follow. If you have heard it, skip to the next subhead.
The dam broke upriver, and a forest ranger came to this guy’s house in a Jeep and said, “A flood is coming! Jump in and I’ll drive you to safety!”
“Thank you, sir, but no,” he said. “The Lord will save me. I will put my trust in him.”
The water rose around him until it was in his living room, so he went to the second floor. Another ranger in a boat came by and shouted to the guy looking out the window, “It’s still rising! Jump in the boat and I’ll get you out of here!”
“Thank you, sir, but no,” the guy said. “The Lord will save me. I will put my trust in him.”
The water kept rising, until the guy had to climb up on his roof. Just then a helicopter came by. A ranger dropped a rope down, and shouted, “It’s still rising! Grab the rope and I’ll pull you in!”
“Thank you, sir, but no,” the guy said. “The Lord will save me. I will put my trust in him.”
Then the water kept rising, and the guy drowned.
When he reached Heaven, he went straight to the throne.
“Lord,” he said, “I don’t mean to complain, but I put my trust in you, and you let me drown!”
The Father said, “Look, I sent you a jeep, a boat, and a helicopter. What do you want from me?!?”
Preconceived notions can kill
A lot of people think that “The Lord helps those who help themselves” is in the Bible. It’s not. Go ahead, use a concordance or search software. You won’t find it, though you might find related ideas. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take proactive steps to help ourselves and others. Problems come from misplaced importance ranking in those things.
King David wrote:
Some people trust in chariots, others in horses;
but we praise the Lord’s name.
They will collapse and fall,
but we will stand up straight and strong. (Psalm 20:7-8, CEB)
When you read the history of David and his battles, you find he frequently used chariots and horses. Key: he used them, but he didn’t put his trust in them. He knew material things will break, and people will fail and betray trust. But he also knew that just as we use things, God uses people to accomplish his purposes.
Are we willing to be instruments in the hands of God? “A horse is made ready for the day of battle,” wrote the Proverbs writer, “but victory belongs to the Lord” (Proverbs 21:31, CEB).
In the current pandemic, we first put our trust in God. Like the guy in the flood, trusting God does not preclude us from using what God has given to us. We will trust God and wear masks. We will trust God and keep at least six feet away from each other. If and when a vaccine comes along, we will take advantage of it. When we have the opportunity to help someone else, we will take advantage of that, too. Perhaps we can be “forest rangers,” serving as instruments sent by God to answer someone’s prayer.
Thank you, Father, for answered prayer, and for the willingness to see those answers when you present them to us. In Jesus name, Amen!
Peace.