Praise & Pray

Have you heard someone say 'God helps those who help themselves'? Did you ever stop to examine whether that statement is accurate, or did you assume it had to be true because it is such a common saying? Does the fact that it mentions the word 'God' have anything to do with your trust that it is true?

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God helps those who help themselves. That 'saying' is a lie concocted in the deepest pits of hell to deceive well-meaning people into self-reliance, idolatry, and death.

God warns people to rely on Him and His understanding in Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. How can we do that if we believe our strength is needed to get things done instead of being helped by Him?​

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Elijah needed God to feed him when on the run from Jezebel in the desert. The Aramean king would have murdered Israel's king if God hadn't told Elisha about the traps set for him. King Solomon could not have built a Temple that pleased the Lord if He hadn't provided specific instructions. King Asa relied on his human understanding and angered the Lord. King Saul ignored God's instructions, resulting in him and his descendants losing the throne.

The Lord said, "not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit" in Zechariah 4:6. Those words were an instruction to a prince of Jerusalem to encourage him that God's Spirit would stir things up to get His will done. That message reverberates through time to you and me as well as future believers. God can do whatever He says He will do, and we are to put our trust in Him.

This is not to say that Christians should be lazy or not hardworking. The Bible teaches Christians to do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) without complaints. Therefore, we are supposed to do great work, knowing God will reward us for the good we do in all things (Ephesians 6:8). Yet, we are to depend solely on God, not ourselves, human beings, concepts, or organizations.

God wants to carry the weight so many of us are struggling with. And those struggles often stem from the belief that we have to help ourselves before the Lord will assist. However, we are talking about the God who didn't wait for us to be perfect before sending His Son to die on the cross for us (Romans 5:8). The God who rescued Daniel from lions when his enemies conspired to kill him. The God who keeps satan's diabolical plans for us at bay.

It is time we stop believing the lie that God helps those who help themselves. It is prideful to think we know best and are truly competent to help ourselves without His direction. Instead, we must apply our faith and humbly seek His strategy and wisdom to navigate challenges and achieve success in every area of our lives. He wants to do exceedingly above all we could ask for or imagine according to His Spirit in us. Can we not trust Him to do this and more?

I pray your faith in Him will grow and that you will always place yourself at the feet of our loving Father to receive the help you need. IJN, Amen. May the God who does things suddenly and in an instant show up for you in a big way. God bless you.​

As you await fellowship at Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:

1. Rely on God, Not Man

2. Rely on God

3. Careful what you say

4. Satan's Lies, Insecurity & Self Reliance

5. Christian, Guard Your Tongue

6. Don't Fake It Till You Make It

7. God Is Waiting On You

8. Did You Ask God First?

9. Why Don’t We Ask God First?

10. Put God's Concerns First

11. Depend Solely On God

12. Topic: Satan's Lies

13. Topic: Faith, Trust, Belief in God

14. Topic: Wisdom

15. Topic: Faith At Work Series