When it comes to God’s provision and help, there may be times when we are called to trust God to work apart from ordinary means. Ezra 8:22 tells us that Ezra told King Artaxerxes that the gracious hand of God is upon all those who look to him. He testified that the Lord is God of heaven and earth, that God has called him to go back to Jerusalem. He submitted his request for help. But to now ask the king for an armed guard would be a lack of trust. God’s name would be dishonoured if Persian guards were needed in order to protect his people from harm. How can the Lord be God of heaven and earth if he cannot care for his own people?

Ordinarily, protection from criminals and bandits is provided through an armed guard. When Nehemiah travels to Jerusalem, he is accompanied by the king’s officers and cavalry (Nehemiah 2:9). But for Ezra that is not an option. He must forsake ordinary means and trust God to work apart from them.

The apostle Paul actually does the same in the New Testament. When it comes to the work of pastors, Paul makes it clear that ministers of the Word can expect to be provided for by God’s church, the worker deserves his wages (1 Timothy 5:18). However, when Paul was ministering in Corinth, he deliberately chooses not to accept this means of provision (2 Corinthians 11:7–15). In his Corinthian context, there were lots of individuals who came to teach things with the hope of enriching themselves. Great and eloquent speakers were the celebrities of the day. But Paul decides to forego any payment since some people might think he is only preaching the Gospel in order to fill his pocket.

From these two examples, Ezra and Paul, we should learn that there may be times when we must forsake ordinary means and trust God to work apart from them. To be clear, we never turn down ordinary means in order to show our faith, as if it is more spiritual to pray for a miraculous healing than what it is to consult the doctor. No, we only turn down means if their use would result in God’s name being dishonoured and if there is a clear promise from God to guide our decisions.