Tuesday 12 November 2013

HEAVEN DOES NOT HELP THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES

Spirit & Life Devotional
Tuesday, November 12

HEAVEN DOES NOT HELP THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES

According to Wikipedia, the phrase "God helps those who help themselves" is a popular motto that emphasizes the importance of self-initiative. Still according to Wikipedia, the sentiment appears in ancient Greek tragedies: in the Hippolytus (428BC) of Euripides appears the speech, "Try first thyself, and after call in God; for to the worker God himself lends aid."

Now if you are spiritually smart, you'll have realised from the above that the phrase, "Heaven helps those who help themselves" is contrary to the Scriptures: for the Bible says not to lean on our own understanding, but to trust in the Lord. Whenever "self" comes before God, right there is something wrong and disorganised! God doesn't aid "flesh"; never! If you can do it yourself, then you don't need God! It cannot be by power or by might and be by the Spirit at the same time!

Ezra 8:21-23, "Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us."

The problem with some of us is that we are not ashamed. How often we contradict ourselves. We say God will protect yet we are the first to hire bodyguards. We say God will provide, yet we are quick to borrow. We are either too lazy and impatient to trust God, or we think He's incapable of fulfilling His word, so we resort to self help. Not Ezra; he chose to fast and pray, and God heard him.

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