Keep Your Powder Dry!

The old motto of soldiers during the Revolutionary War applies to most areas of our life: “Trust in God, but keep your powder dry!” In other words, trust God, but be ready for action. Do everything you can to be prepared realizing that the ultimate outcome is in God’s hands. We need to trust God to be in control without forgetting that we have a role to play.

Whenever I have looked for a job, I trusted God to lead me, but I still sent out résumés! I did my part to “keep my powder dry.” We need to trust God with our lives, but that isn’t a blank check to act foolishly. If I spend more than I make, trust in God will not keep me out of trouble. If I act carelessly, trust in God will not necessarily keep me from harm.

Trust in God is not some “safety net” that allows us to act as with please with no thought to the consequences. Trust in God is a life response to how He has been there for us in the past and will be there for us in the future. David trusted God in his battle with Goliath, but he still had his slingshot and five stones ready for the battle. Trust in God allows us to become all we can be, but it does not allow us (in most cases) to achieve more than we are able to do. I can trust God to keep me safe, but if I fail to look both ways before I cross the street, that trust will not save me from the car that is barreling down on me.

So, what is the bottom line? Trust God, but prepare yourself for whatever He has in store for you. Prayer, preparedness, and trust in God will always be rewarded!