Question For You

[HAMel]

Perhaps all of us have heard the line..., "The Lord helps those who help themselves"
Do you agree with this?

Are there any references in scripture to support the above?

Or, would it be reasonable to conclude the Lord helps only those who cannot help themselves?

The reason I ask is, we come equipped with all the faculties we need to get by in life and otherwise instructed to follow Him, along with the requirement to do what is necessary to provide for ourselves and our families.

Following the Lord Jesus will usher in subsequent blessings as of doing so are already a guarantee to the believers.

 

[sag38]

This saying is not found in the Bible. If I am not mistaken it comes from Ben Franklin.

 

[freeatlast]

It certainly is not biblical.

 

[Pastor_Bob]

It is certainly a biblical principle:

II Kings 4:1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

This lady could have borrowed three vessels or three hundred - the choice was hers. The more she did, the more God did for her. The Lord helps those who help themselves.

 

[J.D.]

Perhaps all of us have heard the line..., "The Lord helps those who help themselves"
Do you agree with this?

Are there any references in scripture to support the above?

Or, would it be reasonable to conclude the Lord helps only those who cannot help themselves?

The reason I ask is, we come equipped with all the faculties we need to get by in life and otherwise instructed to follow Him, along with the requirement to do what is necessary to provide for ourselves and our families.

Following the Lord Jesus will usher in subsequent blessings as of doing so are already a guarantee to the believers.

The question causes a false dichotomy. The Lords "helps" those who "help" themselves, and He "helps" those who don't "help" themselves.

The Lord can work through means (I thank the Lord for my paycheck even though I worked to get it), without means (He created the world from nothing), and against means (an ax head floats, the sun moves backward, a dead man is made alive, etc).

Everything the Lord does is a type of miracle, but it's those things done against means that are the greatest testmonies of His power.

"lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this...How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?" (Dty 32)

 

[HAMel]

Pastor_Bob, excellent example. However, this woman was unable to do for herself. That's the other part of my question.

...the Lord helps only those who cannot help themselves?

Clearly this woman could not provide for herself but of course, after receiving a blessing and instructions from Elisha she carried them out to the letter and was able to maintain.

Had she been able to provide for herself there would have been no need for a special blessing?

The reason I bring this up is because it was discussed in church last night.

 

[John Toppass]

That is the storyline. The woman did what she could to help herself but fell short of her needs, however, God throught the instruction of His prophet helped the woman in completing her need. Without God the woman was going to fail.

 

[John Toppass]

Pastor_Bob, excellent example. However, this woman was unable to do for herself. That's the other part of my question.

...the Lord helps only those who cannot help themselves?

Clearly this woman could not provide for herself but of course, after receiving a blessing and instructions from Elisha she carried them out to the letter and was able to maintain.

Had she been able to provide for herself there would have been no need for a special blessing?

The reason I bring this up is because it was discussed in church last night.

If it pleases God, He will help who He helps. Romans 9:15

 

[blackbird]

Perhaps all of us have heard the line..., "The Lord helps those who help themselves"
Do you agree with this?

Are there any references in scripture to support the above?

Or, would it be reasonable to conclude the Lord helps only those who cannot help themselves?

The reason I ask is, we come equipped with all the faculties we need to get by in life and otherwise instructed to follow Him, along with the requirement to do what is necessary to provide for ourselves and our families.

Following the Lord Jesus will usher in subsequent blessings as of doing so are already a guarantee to the believers.

A quick glance over to the four gospels will dispell this notion above--the Lord helps those who help themselves

Merely read of the cripple man laying at the Pool of Siloam---and could not make it to the pool on his own---neither did he have anyone who would help him once the pool was troubled by the visiting angel

All the dude could do was just lay there---thats it---lay there

THEN ALONG CAME JESUS!!!!:godisgood::jesus:

AMEN???????:thumbs::thumbs:

 

[Benjamin]

(2Th 3:10) For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

(Jas 4:8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

 

[Amy.G]

A quick glance over to the four gospels will dispell this notion above--the Lord helps those who help themselves

Merely read of the cripple man laying at the Pool of Siloam---and could not make it to the pool on his own---neither did he have anyone who would help him once the pool was troubled by the visiting angel

All the dude could do was just lay there---thats it---lay there

THEN ALONG CAME JESUS!!!!:godisgood::jesus:

AMEN???????:thumbs::thumbs:

AMEN!

God helps those who realize that only God can help them.

 

[freeatlast]

(2Th 3:10) For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

(Jas 4:8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

the 2TH passage has nothing to do with the subject. You are grasping at straw.

In James The drawing near is not us helping ourselves. it is turning to God seeking Him to do it. If you have ever tried to save a drowning man you would know that no help from them is wanted. Just submit to the help and be saved.

 

[Pleasant_Bill]

Will God help the unemployed man sitting on his couch endlessly praying for a job or will God help the unemployed man out looking for a job and praying at night after a long day of job hunting?

God provides what you need; the trick is realizing what you need is NOT always what you want.