Depending on and trusting in God is a basic tool for Christian living, because we find that we have depend on God for wisdom, direction and everything we do.
[8] For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God.
[9] It is not from works, so no one may boast..
Ephesians 2:8–9 (KJV)
Depending on God alone does not mean we should act foolishly or that we must take extreme measures (Jesus in Matthew 4 did not need to jump off the temple to prove that He depended on God).
Therefore, a person with a deteriorating fever who refuses to go to the doctor, saying “I am going to depend on God alone to heal me”, or a person hungry who refuses to cook or buy food claiming “I am going to depend on God to fill my tummy” would be acting unwisely, because God has provided means by which these needs are taken care of, namely doctors to help us, and food to eat.
We can still depend on God as we visit the doctor, knowing that all healing ultimately comes from God; and we can also still depend on God as we do legitimate work towards ensuring our feeding, knowing that all sustenance ultimately comes from the Lord who gives us our daily bread.
Depending on God also doesn’t mean we can predict the outcome, or that the circumstances will always be favourable.
A biblical example is that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the three Hebrew men who could not sway the will of their king, and they couldn’t stop or reduce the intensity of the burning furnace, and accepted their verdict because they would not bow down to a false god. They were eventually thrown into the fire, depending on God alone for the outcome – good or bad. And eventually, God showed up.
In a nutshell, the Lord has given us the faith we need and “every good thing that pertains to life and to godliness” to live in this perilous world. Therefore, we should, in all we do as believers, always live earnestly, looking towards God to guide our every next step.
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
Colossians 3:23-24(KJV)
In Plain Sight 