Ezra 5-8: Implicit Trust

What a wise man Ezra was.  He put his money where his mouth was.  'There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.' - Ezra 8:21-23 NIV

I wish I had the same trust in God.  I do take my burdens to the Lord, but then, most often, I seek out the answer to my petitions from any available source.  If I am sick, I ask God for healing, then I go to the doctor.  If there is a financial need, I ask God, then go to the bank.  My guess is most of us, especially here in the United States where we have such great resources available, do the same thing. 

Ezra and the other exiles knew what it was like to be sent away because of trusting in other gods and governments.  Ezra was going to make sure that the same thing did not happen again.  He was not going to depend on the strength of the Babylonian armies to get them safely to Jerusalem.  He was going to trust solely in God.  God saw them through. 

What is it going to take for me to humble myself enough to trust in the gracious hand of God implicitly?  Do I have to be sent into exile in order to have that kind of trust?

2010 Post - Ezra 4-7:  The Eye of God Watches