Saying and doing are two different things. Many times people say one thing but do another. In the Book of Ezra, we see the same phenomenon.
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. 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. So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us (Ezra 8:21-23).
Ezra proclaimed a fast to humble himself and the people before God. Ezra had witnessed to the king about his almighty God and said to the king that God would protect them and therefore they didn’t need the army of the king to protect them. But when push came to shove, Ezra requested an army to protect them against their enemies.
Say one thing but do another
And so it is in the lives of many believers, they say one thing but do another. For example, there are many believers, who call Jesus Christ their Jehovah Rapha, the Healer, while they go to doctors. That’s mainly because the world says, “if you are sick or you don’t feel well, you go to a doctor, take medicines and you will feel like your old self again”
Therefore it’s so important to renew your mind with the Word of God and find out the truth of God and apply the truth in your life so that you walk according to the Word in the truth, instead of walking according to what the world (system) says.
When I became born again, I sometimes still went to a doctor. Of course, I read in the Bible and told people, that Jesus had become My Healer and believed and proclaimed that by His stripes I was healed and testified to others about Jesus the Healer, but I still went to a doctor.
When I asked believers about it, they told me, that God made and appointed doctors to heal people.
I must say, I didn’t have peace with that answer. I still doubted if it was the right thing to do as a Christian. Because I never read in the Old Testament nor in the New Testament that God, Jesus, or the Apostles, send the people to doctors; physicians.
“Did Jesus send a person to Luke for healing?”
Some Christians said, “yes, but Luke was a physician”. But then again, Jesus nor the apostles, send the people to Luke for healing or a check-up. And let’s not forget Jesus was also called a Physician, while Jesus was not a medical doctor.
I began to study the Bible about this subject because I wanted to know what God says about doctors and where doctors get their knowledge from. I have made a short study about it, which you can read in the article: Jehovah Rapha, or doctors, the choice is yours
One thing is for sure, medical science is not based upon the Word of God and is not inspired by God, and does not have its origin in the Kingdom of God.
I mentioned this example, but there are so many other examples in our daily lives, that we say one thing, but do another thing.
Saying and doing are two different things
Now let’s go back to Ezra. When the king offered Ezra an army to protect them, Ezra proclaimed to the king that God would take care of him (them) and that God would protect them. Therefore, they didn’t need an army to protect them. Ezra trusted in the Lord and made this known to the king. He proclaimed the almighty God and His promise to the king. The king respected Ezra because he saw that God was with Ezra.
So you would think, that when Ezra and the people went on their way to build the walls, they wouldn’t need an army to protect them. Because Ezra believed that God would protect them. That is what Ezra believed because that’s what Ezra told the king.
But that’s not what happened. Ezra said he believed, but Ezra’s actions proved otherwise.
When Ezra went on his way, Ezra required the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect them against the enemy.
But on their way, Ezra knew something was not right. So Ezra stopped and didn’t continue his way with the people, the soldiers, and the horsemen.
Ezra felt ashamed, because Ezra knew, that he had disappointed God. He had disappointed God, by not trusting God completely. He doubted God’s protection. Ezra put his trust in a carnal protection of the army of soldiers. He had more faith in a visible protection of people, than in an invisible protection of God. And by trusting in people instead of God, by his action Ezra rejected the word of God.
Therefore Ezra proclaimed a fast in order to repent to God and humbled themselves before God and they besought God.
The love of God
When they humbled themselves by fasting and besought God, we see the love of God and the grace of God. God saw and heard His people and was intreated by them. He saw their repentance, and God in His great mercy, forgave them.
You can also make a wrong decision and do something that’s against the Word of God and enter the wrong path in life. But the most important thing is, what you will do next. What will you do, when you find out that it isn’t the will of the Lord? and that you’ve left the Word and no longer walk on the way of God.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)
Do you continue and pretend like nothing has happened? Or do you stop and repent and humble yourself before God and admit, that you didn’t walk in alignment with His Word? Do you ask forgiveness and do you seek His way or not?
Your saying and doing have to line up. Don’t say one thing but do another. Don’t stay a sayer of the Word, but confirm your words with your actions, so that you become a doer of the Word.
Only if you say the Word and do the Word you will build upon the Rock Jesus Christ and your foundation shall be strong and solid, despite the storms that come your way.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
