Jesus said unto him, It is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Matthew 4:7
I don’t like slippery roads, despite the fact that we see plenty of them during the winter months. So, with snow coming down, we made our way with reduced speed as we returned homeward Sunday afternoon from the attending meetings at the Sussex Gospel Hall. Most other vehicles on the highway were also travelling nicely below the posted speed limit. However, in my rear view mirror, I could see a car moving rapidly in the left lane of the divided highway. As the car passed us, the driver gave us a friendly toot of his horn, and we recognized him as a brother in our Assembly. The next time we saw him, we asked why he was traveling so fast on the snowy road. His answer was, ‘The Lord will take care of us’. So, was he trusting the Lord, or tempting the Lord? Sometimes I feel that Christians use little common sense in some areas, and assume that, just because we are Christians, we will be protected in every situation.
For example, I know some Christians who believe it is wrong to have life insurance. They also carry as little car and home insurance as the law allows. They believe carrying insurance shows a lack of faith in God’s provision. Maybe I shouldn’t condemn them, if they are fully persuaded before the Lord. My own personal conviction has been one of thanks to God for enabling me to afford insurance to protect my family. To do otherwise, I felt would be tempting God.
It is true that our Heavenly Father watches over us. And He has assigned angels to guard and protect us at all times. For this we should be deeply thankful. But Christians do have car accidents, and house fires, and Christians do die and experience personal tragedies of all kinds. God’s will and direction for our lives does not exempt us from the frailties of the flesh or the effects of our foolish mistakes. We are not perfect, and we must reap the results of our imperfect sowing. We need to trust God, but also be wise in our own actions.
Are you trusting God today? Are you doing so with – or without – a clear concept of your own responsibilities? -Jim MacIntosh