Mark 7:24
“Trust God and keep your powder dry” is a saying that dates back to the English Civil war and is attributed to Oliver Cromwell. It is a statement that would remind us that faith in God does not make one irrational or irresponsible. Trusting God does not relieve the soldier of the duty to have a fully functioning firearm. Trusting God for protection does not rule out the use of means or responsible human behavior. It must be remembered that looking to God does not equate to blind trust or to a kind of fatalism that excuses us from thinking hard, acting wisely, or going to others for help or counsel.
In Mark 7, Jesus models the balance of which Cromwell speaks for us. Following escalating conflict with the Pharisees and Scribes, Christ travels from Galilee to the region of Tyre (Mark 7:24ff). This is a two-day journey northwest from Galilee into Syria. It seems that Christ was purposefully stepping out of the firing line to seek seclusion in the face of growing tensions between Him, Herod and the Jewish leadership. Tension that had evolved into threats! The Jewish religious leaders were up in arms and sought to kill Christ (Mark 3:20-30; 3:6). Herod felt politically threatened and so he sought to execute Jesus (Luke 13:31). Aware of this gathering storm and that the hour of his death was not yet, Jesus left Galilee for an extended period. This excursion into Syria put a distance between Him and those who sought to harm Him, allowing Him to pour into His disciples. The point not to be missed is that while Christ’s death on the cross was predestined by God and would involve the Jewish leaders, God’s sovereign plan did not give Jesus permission to be passive, impractical, or irresponsible (cf. Acts 2:22-24; 4:25-30). Jesus trusted God and kept His powder dry. He ran for cover!
The balance of trusting God and acting responsibly and responsively is also found elsewhere in Scripture. Nehemiah and the inhabitants of Israel prayed to God for protection in the face of their enemies, but they also posted guards along the walls of Jerusalem (Neh. 4:14-23). They trusted God and kept their powder dry! David went up against Goliath in the name of the living God, but still took his slingshot and stones with him (1 Sam. 17:47-49). He trusted God and kept his powder dry! The disciples had learned to trust God for everything and in all circumstances, yet at Jesus’ word, they bought and carried swords for self-protection (Luke 22:35-38). They trusted God and kept their powder dry!
Trusting God must never lead to testing God with impractical ideas, reckless actions, or a twisting of God’s promises as underlined in the temptation of Jesus (Matt. 4:5-7). An account from the Life of Hudson Taylor illustrates this danger! During Taylor’s first missionary voyage to China in 1853, the vessel on which he was traveling got caught in a dangerous storm off the coast of Wales. He refused to wear a lifebelt in the belief that it was dishonoring to the Lord. He later admitted his mistake: “The use of means ought not to lessen our faith in God.”
Trust God and keep your powder dry!