Faith includes common sense

Scripture Read: Esther 5:1-2  Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace. ² When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter, which was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter.  

Application: Faith is an action word but it also includes common sense. Faith is an action word but it also includes common sense. We need to remember to not become so against works that we do not use the brain You have given us Lord. We do not want to go to where the world goes - “God helps those who help themselves” – This may sound good but it is very flawed because it’s dependence is on self. That is exactly what the flesh wants. We take hidden pride in self-accomplishment and before we know it we think the life we have built was by the power of our own hands, we “helped” ourselves. A slippery slope made of semantics and good intentions. How we allow ourselves those thoughts is beyond me – even individuals that deny Your existence have the life they have ONLY because You have allowed it! They may not see it or refuse to acknowledge it, but truth is truth. So we do not want to enter that way of thinking. However, sometimes we take it to far. When we trust in You, we exercise our faith, we show action, and use our mind to plan our approach to the issue as Esther did. She did not fast and pray for 3 days and then just casually walk into the Kings presence expecting the Lord God to pave the way for her. She took time to dress appropriately and then enter the court and wait, with all of her dependence on You Lord, not the King’s soft heart. Daniel did the same thing concerning the food he ate. He prayed and depended on You Lord, not the king or the servants to change the circumstances so that he could obey the direction You had impressed upon him Lord.

Daniel 1:8–16 (NASB95) ⁸ But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. ⁹ Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, ¹⁰ and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king.” ¹¹ But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ “Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.” ¹⁴ So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. ¹⁵ At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. ¹⁶ So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

We need to think the same way, always depending wholly on You Lord, while at the same time being wise in ourselves to think, plan and approach the situation in the best possible way. Father, help us keep the connection of our faith to our mind! 

Meditation Questions: When you step out in faith – how much thought have you given that step? Do we have “blind” faith? If you say yes – why? If you say no – why? When God leads you to do something – do you make a plan? Is there a difference in using common sense in your faith and trying to control the agenda? What is the difference?