Turning to someone for help

September 25, 2008


Ezra 8:21-22 KJV
(21) Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
(22) For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.


When we get in trouble who do we turn to. As I write this, the US government is debating on a bill to bail out financial institutions that have made bad decisions. The people are looking to the government to get them out of the trouble they are in. Or another example, people who are overweight look to doctors to remove the fat, or to operate on them so they will not eat as much. They are looking to the doctors to fix what they could do themselves by dieting.

As we look all around us we see cases where people want someone else to fix their problems for them. Councilor's offices are filled with people who want help in justifying what they have done wrong.

Not Ezra. Ezra knew there was a problem coming up as they went back to fix Jerusalem. And rather than turn to the king to protect him with the military, he turned to God. He prayed. And a funny thing happened. They went through a place that is normally filled with robbers and never got bothered.

In times of trouble we need to learn to rely on God and not men.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Ezra 7:1-10:44
Tomorrow
Nehemiah 1:1-5:19
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