Thankless Help.

“Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge. But Pharaoh’s protection will be to your shame, Egypt’s shade will bring you disgrace. Though they have officials in Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes, everyone will be put to shame because of a people useless to them, who bring neither help nor advantage, but only shame and disgrace.” (Isaiah 30:1-5, emphasis mine)

One of the signs of an ungrateful person is that there is no evidence of thankfulness in their conversations with other people, nor with God Himself. Actually, there are two sides to this proverbial coin: the ungrateful person does not thank God, and the ungrateful person does not ask God.

A Christian who lives life in this mode is sending a message to the world: I believe Jesus is Lord and King, but I don't believe He is able to deliver me. So, when crisis comes, what happens?

Counterfeiting. The Christian carries out a plan, but it is not God's plan (Isaiah 30:1).

Collusion. The Christian "goes to Egypt" (Isaiah 30:2), soliciting help from the sources that God has consistently warned him or her to stay away from. What has the LORD said? "They will bring you shame and disgrace." (Isaiah 30:5)

Compromise. The LORD says that when His people carry out plans apart from the leading of the Holy Spirit, they fall into a cycle of serial sin (Isaiah 30:1). And, the LORD has a descriptive term for such people: obstinate (displaying a stubborn, unyielding attitude even though they have been gently entreated and gently treated).

For some, this sin of not consulting God has become a routine. Financial hardship is "resolved" not through prayer, but by calling up friends and asking them for money. Challenges with children are not resolved through fervent prayer, but by sending them away to become wards of a boarding school. Delayed answers to prayer are not met with patient waiting, but are instead "managed" through consulting human experts that seem to offer a quick fix.

When we do this, it's a sign of spiritual adultery. We are called to rest in the arms of God, but we abandon His presence and place our crises in the hands of persons who cannot help us. Scripture asserts that Egypt, the spirit of quick fixes and earthly riches, carries a price tag of slavery, sin, and death.

Why would we choose death when we say we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life?

God is speaking to us, gently. God is holding us, gently. He says, I am with you. I am the One who brought My people out of Egypt, through the wilderness journey, and into the land of promise. I am walking through this life with you. I am your help and your stay. I am doing so much for you that you cannot see right now, but that you will see in due time. Wait. Rest. Trust.