“Since you trust in your deeds and riches, you too, will be taken captive.” (Jeremiah 48:7 NIV)
Jeremiah was speaking God’s word against Moab. I read the proclamation and I think back, what do we know about Moab? It’s the place Naomi’s husband and sons fled to in face of famine. It’s the last stop on the way into the Promised Land; described as a green emerald in the sand. Verdant and resource rich, the people of Moab had a strong tendency to depend on themselves instead of the Lord.
Yet through Jeremiah, God told Moab that their self-reliance and confidence in their wealth would result in captivity. God was referring to actual occupation. He would send in Babylon as an arm of His justice; an extension of His own power and might. Babylon would carry out the consequence of wayward nations, and eventually God would deal with Babylon as well.
That being said, I see a wider application for Moab and us. We tend to trust ourselves, don’t we? I think of my big brother’s favorite saying “Nobody loves you like you.” We lean into our own cunning, our experiences, our connections and our ability to problem-solve. We sleep better with full bellies and stocked pantries and well-funded bank accounts. But God asks us to trust in Him alone. Self reliance and wealth can quickly eclipse God reliance and become yet another idol. (Most idols are good things made into ultimate things.) We are designed to trust in God alone. We are pressed to live His way, in step with His good instruction. Self-reliance consults no one and blazes forward with little or no regard for God. Wealth boosts our willingness to engage in such risky living.
Unchecked self-reliance and wealth will ultimately lead to captivity. In the short-term: Babylon’s coming. Our earthly choices accrue consequences. But long term: our self-reliance and love of wealth will lead us to a very dark and terrible place. We trade the presence and favor of God for a paper-thin illusion of freedom and an eternity of imprisonment.
I get it: total reliance on God feels risky. It feels like shaky scaffolding at best. Our own ability feels more known, our finances more tangible. But God has His children, He holds us in the palm of His hand and He’s using the ups and downs of this life to teach us: He is trustworthy in all circumstances! He is entirely faithful and the only way we’ll grasp the extent of His goodness is by resting in His hand a good long while.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)
So what is the antithesis of self-reliance and wealth? How about God-reliance and radical generosity. When we trust God entirely, we can give ourselves away fully. We understand that all we have (intellectually, physically, financially) belongs to Him and He is capable of replacement or supernatural sustainment. We trust that we are truly His children and His children don’t go hungry. This complete trust can produce God-reliance and radical generosity. This trust frees us up to say ‘yes’ to whatever God calls us to next.
Wealth will run out and health will fade. Someday our constitution will not stand as strong as we are convinced it is now. When we rely on ourselves, we will eventually, inevitably go broke. If instead, we rely on God, He will always provide precisely what we require.
Lord, please help us in this area of self and wealth reliance. Forgive us for trusting in our own strength. Grow our trust in You as we learn to live out our yes through radical generosity and unwavering trust. Amen.