Help

The Lord helps those who help themselves.  This is found nowhere in the Word of God.  Question: do you think that God only helps those who help themselves?  I guess I have thought about this subject on and off for a while now.  

I have done these ‘Tidbits’ for a while and my intentions are that I will never lead anyone astray.  I believe everyone that claims to be a believer should study God’s Word for themselves and not just take someone else’s word for it.  I am not a Bible scholar nor have I gone to Bible College, but I have read the Word for many years and it is probably one of the things I like to talk about the most.  I have read many other books through the years which I feel have helped me in my Christian walk.  I am always willing to learn more biblical things so that I can achieve more biblical understanding so that I will be a better witness and honor the Lord in the way I live, plus I don’t want to be deceived by false doctrine.  I think every believer should feel this same way.

The last I heard I think there were only ten or twenty percent of people that claim to be believers that read the Bible and I think there are some that would be shocked to hear that the words, “The Lord helps those that help themselves,” are not in the Bible anywhere at all.  There are people that think this is true, and of course those that don’t, and they can all give Bible references for both sides of the issue.  Personally I believe the Lord helps both the one who can’t help themselves and the one’s that do help themselves.  I think He also helps those that can help themselves but won’t.

I also believe that the Lord gives everyone a free will, so we all have choices to make.  I believe when it is all said and done, no one will have an excuse for not knowing that the Lord exists and receiving Him as their Lord and Savior.  As far as salvation goes, the Lord has done all that is needed, all we have to do is receive or reject the invitation.  

If someone is praying for a job, and can get around to put applications and résumés in, but refuses to do their part, then they probably won’t get a job.  Having faith is very important, but faith without actions isn’t faith at all.  It isn’t like the Lord won’t help anyone, but He expects us also to try to help ourselves when we have, or even lack, the resources to do it.

Let’s say you want to build something but you have no idea how to build what you have in mind.  You will have to go out and try to find the resources you need to do what you are thinking of doing.  

And what about studying the Bible, for instance, the Lord has provided everything we need but if we don’t choose to read it and put it into practice, we will more than likely never reach our potential in Him.  It isn’t that He hasn’t helped us; we just choose not to use what he has provided.

This reminds me of Peter in Matthew 14:22-33 when Jesus was walking on the water and Peter wanted to go to Him and Jesus said, “come.”  Then Peter had a choice, he could be the first and only man that I know of, that ever walked on water, apart from Jesus, or he could have stayed in the boat.  But, Peter would have to help himself by getting out of the boat, which he did, if he didn’t he would have never known that he could walk on water.  Peter’s trust wasn’t in himself, but he still had to act on what Jesus told him in order to walk on water, which is called faith, so in stepping out he helped himself also and there are other examples I could use.  

So my way of thinking is that God helps all three types of people.  Something to think about!  May you have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!