I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me. (Psalm 57:2)
All our lives we have heard the oft-repeated phrase, “God helps those who help themselves.” In fact, one religion-based pollster cited this as one of the most widely known Bible verses. The problem is that this “verse” is not in the Bible. It originated in a late 17th century political work called Discourses Concerning Government. This was a treatise that addressed specifics of governance, including ideas such as limited government and the voluntary consent of the people. Some have dubbed this publication “the textbook of the American revolution.” So what does this have to do with the Bible? Absolutely nothing — that’s the point. Actually it is clearly established in the Bible that man, even those with the best of intentions, is not capable of helping himself — at least not in a way that has eternal ramifications. In short, we cannot save ourselves.
Still, the notion persists in humanity that we are in charge of our destiny and it is left to us, and us alone, whether or not we succeed in life. Without a doubt, there are parts of life where we must take the initiative to better ourselves and those around us, but as David acknowledged, it is “God who performs all things for me.” In concert with this statement, Moses told Israel it is the Lord “who gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18). Again, success and prosperity do not just drop into our lap — we need to use the gifts and skills God has entrusted to us — but we should never allow pride to seduce us into thinking that our power and merit renders success.
Perhaps we should consider this: when we take the first step toward accomplishing something of value, and especially those goals in life that have eternal value, God honors that step by acting on our behalf to bring it to pass. But let’s take this beyond the realm of earthly success and prosperity and consider something that matters more than our temporal aspirations. Consider what must occur for someone to be reconciled to the Most High; in other words, is it not crucial that we make that first step toward reconciliation by acknowledging that our sins are what separated us in the first place? Yet, when we take that step and ask for His forgiveness, God does the rest of the work, without which we would continually drift in a state of hopelessness.
Thankfully, His goodness and mercy knows no bounds; He only wants to see that it is in our heart to return to Him. It reminds me of the Parable of the Prodigal: the wayward son had to first recognize the futility of his actions and the bleak prospects for the future if he were to remain in the pig sty. He made the decision to return to His father’s house and repent, willing to be nothing more than a servant. But when his father saw his son moving towards him, he closed the distance between them and promptly restored him to his proper place in the family. Such is the heart of our Heavenly Father; when we step toward Him, He runs toward us. So while it is absolutely true that God helps us, it seems more appropriate to say that “God saves those who recognize they need to be saved.”
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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