It's one thing to have faith

but this story is something else. I admittedly don't know many details, but the parents' actions bring up some very important points that are worth thinking about. Namely, is it possible to have too much faith? Or to put it slightly differently, to what extent should we rely on God and his sovereignty?

I was actually going to bring something like this up in a later post, but I might as well pull it out now. To put it bluntly, I think there is a balance that needs to be struck here. I mean, God could have saved the girl, right? Of course, but just because God is omnipotent over every single atom in the universe doesn't excuse us from action. It reminds me a lot of the story of a devout man who, during a terrible flood, resisted all help because he trusted in God to save him and ended up drowning. When he got to heaven he realized that God had provided a way to save him (via rescue workers in boats, helicopters, etc.) , he just didn't see the earthly help.

Now I just realized that that analogy could be incorrectly applied to the salvation process (and probably had been) but that isn't my point here. The idea is that we shouldn't live foolishly while trusting in God to do everything for us. God gave us reason; he wants us to be smart and use wisdom and reason in these things. As my pastor once said: "If I had a deadly brain tumor, I would get my hands on the best available surgeon out there." By all means pray for the sick girl. Pray like nobody's business, but use some common sense. Buckle your seatbelt, wear a life jacket, study for tests, and go to the doctor, all the while knowing that God is working all things together for your good and His glory.