God Helps the Helpless
Self-help religion says, “If you want God’s help, you have to work for it. You have to pull up your socks to impress the Lord.”
But look at the people Jesus helped and you will see that God is not like this.
Jesus helped handicapped people, powerless widows, sick children, and paralyzed servants.
Jesus helped dead people.
God doesn’t help those who have their acts together. He helps the helpless.
He helps those whose lives are a mess. Their car won’t start, their kids are sick, and they haven’t brushed their hair in a week.
He helps those who ask for help.
God surely wants to help everyone, but only the helpless receive his help.
On one occasion people were bringing their babies to Jesus for him to bless them. Jesus said, “Unless you change and become helpless as a babe, you’ll never enter the kingdom.”
Another time he said, “Whoever humbles himself like a little child will make a big splash in the kingdom.”
In this world success is sold as the product of hard work and perseverance. Success is for the self-made man.
But in God’s kingdom the path to greatness is the one taken by the weak and the meek. It’s for those who are too broken to pretend, and too tired to strive. Real success, the kind that lasts and brings no sorrow, is for those who cry,
“God, help!”
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:2)
Source: Stuff Jesus Never Said.
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I have been asking for God’s help in the area of employment. I have been unemployed for 8 years due to me having a criminal record. I have interview for positions that I felt qualified for, but when they run the background check, I never hear for them again. I am desperate for God to help me. As a result of not being able to get a job,bike lost my home, I’m living in poverty, I’m in a bad marriage, and I’m very discouraged. I know that just one touch from the Lord would help us so much. I’m trying to keep the faith but I don’t know how long I can go on.
Michelle, I think you’re waiting for God to do something for you? Realize that he already supplied your need, and ask him to convince your heart of that truth, then relax and watch what happens. Don’t try to convince yourself of this, he will convince you, if you open your heart. Reafing as many of Pauls blog posts as you can, will help your heart to relieve as well!
As I understand it now, and the position I pray from, is just thanking him for already supplying my need in Jesus long ago. Then Sometimes I feel to declare it out loud, or agree with someone else in alignment with Him, or whatever you feel to do, except being anxious. Then stand back and watch things fall into place. Expect him to fulfill his promises in Mathew 6 24 etc.
Blessings!
Helen, thank you for this. I know from following Paul and others that my needs have already been met but have a the same time been trying to convince myself and God. l am still struggling with complete trust and qualification issues. I believe that what you say is true – to ask God to convince me and allow Him to work. Grace and the Father heart is revelation not mental knowledge. Blessings.
Put yourself at the Lords disposal dont look for Job Just go out and Let him bring it to you.
Many generations have abused and misused this unBiblical quote. I have never agreed with it. Thank you for making this clear and that we need to remember that “Jesus helped the dead!” Good one.
Awesome! Thanks Paul for always sharing with us the heart of our Father. God indeed Helps the Helpless. No wonder Jesus spotted the man at the pool of Bethesda. “Sir, I have no man, ……” came the answer when Jesus inquired if he wanted to be whole. He was very Helpless and so received the needed Help.
So true! What a good Father!
The poor heard Him gladly – A familiar verse from the gospels – The blind, the dumb, the cripples were all in this category. But it seems this is where Jesus’ healing power went to work constantly – Wherever there was a cry for help his miracle working power was always available to meet the need. May the Holy Spirit constantly show us our desperate need for Him in all things!
What verse is this? “Unless you change and become helpless as a babe, you’ll never enter the kingdom.”
It’s my paraphrase of Christ’s words in Matthew 18:3, 19:14, Mark 10:15, and Luke 18:16.
I so identify with what you are saying Paul. People ask me why I have so many encounters with God and they don’t. I want to say to them it’s because I really know I need Him and you don’t think you do. Trying to handle life with my own thoughts and actions doesn’t work for me. I had no self-esteem and had come to the end of my own strength, period, when I asked God to reveal Himself to me. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me, but I can do very little in my own strength. Our God is supernatural and we have to let go of carnal thinking and cross over into the supernatural kingdom of God where all things are possible. There is no limitation for those who truly rely on Him and quit striving to do things man’s way. So many doctrines have been built on Stuff that Jesus didn’t say. It is time for the body of Christ to seek revelation of the truth of God’s nature and will for us. Only then will we come into true understanding of the words Jesus did speak when He said we would do even greater things than Him. To really know Him will cause us to act like Him with confidence, knowing He is behind us all the way.
I enjoyed this post so I forwarded it to a Calvinist friend hoping it would be of comfort.
His reply to me was: Interesting. Looks like God has favoritism. Using scripture verses to make a point do not mean it is what the scriptures teach.
My reply to him was: Isn’t what you say what Calvinism is all about – that God has chosen only a few elect and the rest are damned? Like saying, if my children don’t listen to me they are out of my will?
Nizam I just read.your comments and I feel for you. As I shared all my excitement about these revelations, I used to get pretty discouraged. I quickly discovered that the old addage, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink”, is so true. Now I just pray for their spiritual ears and eyes to be opened to the revelations. As we hunger and thirst for truth, Holy Spirit can lead us to it! God bless you for trying to encourage your friend.
I so relate, Nizam. Here’s another encouraging truth for us at such times as you describe that the Lord’s used to comfort me – while it’s true that “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink, you can describe it so when he sees it he’ll recognize it.” Thanks much Paul, for this great word on Gods babies and the Kingdom. We are in His Kingdom when born of Him, His babies, but only when we start to recognize our total dependency on Jesus as our Only Good, does our experience begin match up with our amazing Inheritance that Jesus is to us.
There is sadly an attitude in this world that people who are in hard times, whether it be living on the streets or on the unemployment benefit choose to live that way. Usually circumstances have meant they didn’t want to be there but need some help to climb out of the pit they are in.
God has commanded us to love one another, not to judge or try and bully others, or manipulate them to do what we they should do. Just to love. Love is practical as well as an emotion. Love changes things – it is the most important thing. I think we saw Jesus model this again and again. Everyone benefits when we love. Especially us – we start to be transformed into who we are created to be. So great word Paul, thank you.
Amen Rowan! God is LOVE and it is His kindness that leads us to repentance!
Good post! Hate that tired saying, “God helps those who help themselves.” Actually, “without Him, we can do nothing.”
Our God is already pleased with us and to add work mentality is not scripturally based. Good Paul, TY
Keep it groovy Paul and keep preaching it 🙂
Thanks Paul, timely word as always.
Be blessed
We were never created for ourselves. He created us for total relationship with Him.
Is’nt i wonderful: You are born and on this earth because God wants you! You’re His will. You’re created to be loved by Him. He wants to help you if you let Him. I just want to thank Papa and Abba Father for fathering us. Thanks Jesus, for you made this possible.
Blessings to you all brothers and sisters 🙂
Stian from Norway
Great post Paul. I’ve come to view the gift of eternal life as “other dimensional life”. This is key to understanding our human existence because all of our fleshly efforts to achieve success in the temporary dimension (however we may define what that is) do not cross over to be applied for use in achieving success in the eternal dimension. Christ Jesus has given us His “other dimensional” life. We engage with Him in this NEW life, NEW walk with NEW MEANS – faith, humility, surrendered. No success in the eternal dimension can come from the OLD man skill set of works, pride, adherence to standard (laws) – that old skill set can only create the illusion of Christian success that will be burned up like wood, hay and stubble. Until we individually come to the realization that our new life in Christ/Grace is empowered NOT by achieving but by the means of receiving we will continue to try to make a round peg fit into a square hole. Works don’t apply to Grace. Love is not given as a reward – it’s already there! He’s already there!
Opened this email just now. Just before that, I had “come boldly unto (His) throne of grace” that I might obtain grace in time of need. Something was on my mind and in my way and I couldn’t focus even on HIM and His Grace.
Then I heard myself pray, “shall I look to the hills?” (thinking, ‘am I going to focus on my PROBLEM?’), or am I going to look to (and I continued) “from whence comes my strength?”…”my help is in the name of the Lord who MADE the heavens and the earth” and MADE “the hills”, the problems and even the “principalities and powers” behind those problems….! So, I just praised Him as the Ingenious Conceiver, Designer and Creator of everything (spiritual and physical).
Then, it kind of ‘fizzled out’ and I sat down and (absently) reached for the laptop and noted that this email was open since last night but hadn’t been read. So, I clicked into the hyperlink and read the full ‘Post’. I was blessed by what I read, especially the last paragraph…
…and THEN (with a ‘bang’) came to the quote at the end,
“My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2)
And I KNEW He was responding and confirming to me, through your Post. That ALWAYS blesses.
Thank you!
Haha! Wonderful. The Lord moves in awesome ways.