Faith? Yes! Stupidity? No!

Wednesday   10-07-15  Segovia, Spain

Scripture reading:    Ezra 7-8      Luke 20

S=Scripture O=Observation A=Application P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  Ezra 8:21-23  We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled.  For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to accompany us and protect us from enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king, "Our God protects all those who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him." NLT

O.  Ezra had bragged about the protection of his God to the king... and now he was ashamed to ask for the king’s army’s protection for his dangerous trip.  He felt he was going to have to “walk the talk”... through hundreds of miles of hills and valleys known for their gangs of robbers.  Well, God respected his faith and took care of him.

A.  If I am going to preach about God’s protection, should I cancel my insurance?  Thank the Lord, aside from faith in Him, He has given me good sense.  Yes, I have my insurance up-to-date.  When tempted by the devil to jump to his death, Jesus said, “Get out of here, Satan.  Thou shall not tempt the Lord, Thy God!” 

It was 1959 in Roseville, California.  I knelt at the altar beside a big US Air Force officer praying for him as he was weeping heavily surrendering  his broken life to God.  He was truly saved that night.  But he had been such a filthy-mouthed sinner before, his fellow officers thought he had gone crazy overnight.  Then he made his big error.  He was flight engineer on a great B-52 bomber.  And he bragged, “Why... I could shut off all four of these engines and God could keep us in the air!”  Of course he was not planning to do that.  But that extremely unwise statement cost him his job as flight engineer.   He was a new, enthusiastic Christian bragging about God, but wasn’t using much wisdom.  He didn’t yet know about: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord, thy God.”

P.  Lord, I thank You for Your protecting hand upon me every day.  Ezra got away with it... and so have I on way too many occasions.  Thanks for your mercy.  But please give me the good sense to stay within the legal speeds and not push You to test Your limits.  Give me strong faith in You, yes... but combined with the good sense to not misuse it.   Amen.

Ralph