Does God Need Our Help Religion Essay

Message for True Life Ladies Fellowship

Sister Judith sent me an electronic mail for this invitation to talk tonight, and in it she asked for my apprehension on the narrative about David contending the elephantine Goliath in which David took with him five smooth rocks. The inquiry is why did David carry with him five rocks and non one? Was he swearing in God for assisting him to get the better of the giant? Was he deficiency of trust in God? Could he hold merely trusted to the full in God and confronted Goliath with merely one rock?

David surely trusted in God in his brush with Goliath. Look at what he told King Saul when the male monarch wanted David to set on the male monarch ‘s armor? In 1 Sam 17:39 we read that he did non depend on the armor, helmet, nor blade.

Alternatively, in verse 40, we read that he chose five smooth rocks from the river.

In verse 45, David told Goliath, “ You come to me with a blade, spear and shield, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the ground forcess of Israelaˆ¦this twenty-four hours the Lord will present you into my custodies, that all the Earth may cognize that there is a God in Israel. The conflict is the Lord ‘s. ”

And so David put his manus into the bag, and he took one rock and it hit the Philistine on the brow, and he fell to the land.

Now, was David in full trust in the Lord to present him and the Israelites? Sure, as his action by non depending upon Saul ‘s armor and blade, and by his declaration to Goliath that the conflict is the Lord ‘s.

Yet, could he hold merely merely approached Goliath with his bare organic structure? How was it that he still needed a rock, non merely one, but he carried with him five rocks.

By utilizing a rock, David was making his portion in the conflict harmonizing to what he could make best. He was non used to Saul ‘s armor and blade, but he was expert in utilizing the sling and the rock. So as he trusted in God, yet he had his portion to play. If David were to seek contending the giant with his empty custodies, that would be seeking to allure God. It was God ‘s program to utilize David and the rock to smite Goliath dead. The rock was portion of God ‘s program, portion of God ‘s tool, even as David was God ‘s instrument to get the better of the giant.

Then why did David have to pick up five rocks? Would n’t one rock suffice? Was he non to the full swearing God?

David could hold equipped himself with merely one rock, but that once more would be seting God to the trial. He would be depending upon his ain expertness to contend the giant instead than trusting on God. And so, by picking five rocks, he showed his insufficiency, but swearing in the Lord that the Lord would utilize one for them – it could be the first, 2nd, or even the last rock.

If the Lord had decided to utilize the fifth rock, so He would be doing David to depend upon Him even more. But the Lord in His wisdom was good pleased to utilize the first rock, and that in honor of David ‘s trust in Him.

Now, here we see the enigma of God ‘s sovereignty and Man ‘s duty in action. The Lord God was in control of the whole state of affairs, but He allowed David to move freely in undertaking Goliath. This is a enigma and non a contradiction.

“ The Lord reigneth. ” ( Psa 97. 1 ) There is godly sovereignty. “ So so every one of us shall give history of himself to God. ” ( Rom 14. 12 ) There is human duty. Not merely in redemption, but besides in all other facets of our lives.

I think we all can accept this. The inquiry is, “ How do we equilibrate the two? ” A farther inquiry is: “ Does God Necessitate Our aid? ”

If God is autonomous and in control of His creative activity and His animals, do we so still necessitate to move in certain ways to do things go on? Do we be after for things to go on? How make our planning tantrum into God ‘s intent and design?

When we act and program, are we swearing God, or are we proving Him?

Does it intend that by swearing in God wholly, we do non hold to make anything on our portion?

As we ponder over these inquiries tonight, we must foremost meekly agree that surely God does non necessitate our aid in anything, whether it be in His creative activity, or in His care of His creative activity and of life.

Where were we when the Lord God made all things? We are the clay and He is the Potter.

Yet, when God made us, He did non do us to be automatic machines or automatons. He has given us a healthy organic structure and a sound head ( 2 Tim 1:7 ) .

If God had wanted mindless automatic machines, if He wanted brainless and will-less animals, He could hold created us that manner. But that was n’t His program. His program was to utilize human existences and human volitions and human actions. ( That ‘s the whole point of Romans 8:28 — everything, every small thing, every action and reaction, works out the manner God intended it in the terminal. Every spot of immorality that is done to us, every spot of good that we ourselves do, is portion of His program. So are our errors and straight-out wickednesss. It ‘s all in at that place. )

Yes, God ‘s intent in doing us with a complete organic structure and sound head is that God expects us to utilize them ( our organic structures and our heads ) , to come up with ways and agencies based on our wisdom, and to utilize them when and where appropriate, and to give ourselves as instruments to be used of Him.

So although, yes, the Lord reigns, yet we animals have our duties to make that which we are able and required to make in carry throughing God ‘s intents and programs.

God surely wants us to swear in Him to take attention of all things, but He has His will for us to collaborate with Him in doing things happen as He has planned to make so. This may be what we understand as the co-op will of God.

None of us should hold the thought that the Lord must take attention of us without any action on our ain portion! But sometimes that about seems like what people mean when they talk about trusting God… they mean, sitting back and allowing whatever happens, go on.

That is non what swearing in God means. I think trust agencies believing that God is still good even when the universe does n’t travel the manner we wanted it to. I think trust agencies accepting that God is in control of the consequences, after we tried our best to do it go on the manner we wanted it to.

For illustration, we might hold done what that we can make in supplying intervention and attention to our loved 1s who might hold fallen ill, and at the terminal of it all, the result is non in conformity with our desire, the Lord has allowed things to go on otherwise, if we trust in God, we must larn to praise the Lord for His good and perfect program, and to accept whatever consequences as the Lord ‘s will in control.

So we must larn to accept that God is the 1 in charge of consequences, no affair what I do or do n’t make.

But at the same clip, think of yourself as a husbandman: God is the 1 who makes the harvest grow, if it grows, by directing rain and sunlight in the right proportions and at the right season. You ca n’t coerce those things to go on. You ca n’t vouch success. But what sort of a husbandman would you be if you sat on you porch and said, “ I do n’t necessitate to works or plough, God will supply! “ ?

So there is demand for us to move although God is in control. He is autonomous, but we have our duty, our function to play.

So we work hard to supply for our household. It does n’t intend we do n’t swear God to supply what we need. It means we are making our rightful portion of the work God set in forepart of us.

Same thing with protecting them. We may non be able to protect them in the terminal ( that ‘s up to God ) , but transporting a rock and cognizing how to utilize it is merely making my portion of the work He ‘s given me to make.

Think about it this manner. God does n’t normally state, “ Let this go on ” or “ Make that happen. ” He uses people to make things.

God does n’t merely automatically salvage whoever He wants to salvage — He tells His people to state others about Him.

Isaiah heard the Lord stating in Isaiah 6:8, “ Whom shall I direct, and who will travel for us? ” Does God necessitate aid?

Surely non, but merely that God wants to utilize us to make His work. He wants us to be involved and be portion of His program.

He does n’t merely allow your bank history grow so you wo n’t hunger to decease — He gives you custodies and a encephalon, so that you can gain a life for yourself and your household.

Yes, we all accept that God does miracles, but He works through people to make those miracles.

We see this manner of God ‘s working in many incidents in the Bible: Moses raised his staff and God parted the Red Sea ; the kids of Israel had to process round the wall of Jericho and shouted and the Lord brought the wall toppling down ; the retainers brought the jugs of H2O to Jesus to turn the H2O into vino, and they gave the vino to the nuptials invitees ; the Lord told Peter to travel catch the fish and two coins were found in to pay for their revenue enhancements ; two fishes and 5 loaves were provided by the small male child, and the Lord used them to feed the 5000 ( could He hold merely name upon heaven to drop manna and quails? ) ; the Lord raised Lazarus from the dead, but He instructed the people to undo the grave fabric adhering Lazarus so that he could be set free.

God uses human responsible actions to make His crowned head will.

There are many other incidents of responsible actions performed by work forces who trusted in God. For illustration, Joseph who knew of the 7 old ages good old ages and 7 old ages famine, planned for the yearss of famine in front by carrying up the grains ; James said the seniors prayed for the sick and besides anointed them with oil ( a signifier of medical specialty and alleviation ) ; Paul told Timothy to take some vino to take attention of his weak tummy ; Paul besides told his coworkers to convey his coat to him so that he could digest the winter season ; Paul says those who provide non for the demand of their loved 1s deny the religion and non trusters.

So beloved friends, do we hold the duty to take attention of ourselves and of our loved 1s, though God does care for us?

When you are ill, do you necessitate to see a physician? Some may state, “ We pray for mending. ” Yes, we do pray and we must pray. And some supplications for mending are answered by a physician ‘s handicraft, some are merely answered.

But is it a wickedness to seek for the physician to execute surgery, to give medical specialties, to utilize his cognition and accomplishment to assist mend? Is it a deficiency of religion to utilize a physician ‘s expertness? I do n’t believe so. I think God wants us to move responsibly.

My testimony: Sorry to convey this up, but I thought it is an disposed illustration. I had shed blooding non-stop for 7 full yearss each clip when I went to the lavatory. So went to see two GPs, but the medical specialty did non assist. Travel to polyclinic, the physician tested, and the blood count was low, sent to A & A ; E, and was warded for probe. Thank God, the physician found nil serious. But when discharged, one of my relation in his effort to comfort, understate the incident, said things to minimize the action. I reckon him as a Job ‘s sympathizer.

As for me, I am contented that I did the right thing responsibly. Subsequently learned from one pupil that he had the same job with hemorrhage, but the intervention was a bit excessively late. He was found to hold colon malignant neoplastic disease.

When is it appropriate to acquire into action? When we do so are we swearing God? If we do non make so, are we proving Him? When are we swearing, and when are we proving God?

A lady whom I counseled shared with us ( my married woman and me ) that she was told by the physician that she has a status in which it was excessively unsafe for her to give birth any longer. But she and her hubby felt that they have non finish their household planning. Now, should they travel in front to hold more kids and face the hazard involved? Or should they take the physician ‘s advice. She asked if by non traveling in front, is it non swearing God? By traveling in front so is it proving God?

My sister is a bearer of a blood status ( thalessemia ) . And her hubby is non tested. And in their wisdom, they decided non to hold kids. Is that swearing God or non? I say, that is both swearing God and being responsible. Trusting God by accepting their status which is non favorable to their desire, and being responsible by accepting the fact and doing the determination non to hold kids.

What about those people who go for missional trips, and to states which are malaria prone. If they were to take the anti-malaria pills, are they swearing God, or are they being responsible? Both, non taking the pills would be proving the Lord, for they already know that there is the high hazard involved.

Similar for those in mission trips, and the have to manage kids with diseases, like Aids. Do they protect themselves or non?

Beware of proving the Lord. Satan told the Lord to leap and angels would assist Him, but the Lord chided Satan stating non to allure God.

How about purchasing insurance for protection and for proviso? Nothing against those purchasing and nil against those non purchasing. Whether we buy to supply or to protect, finally it is the Lord God who provides and protects. This is what we must be steadfast about. Job had no insurance to protect his belongingss, and for his illness, but at the terminal of his ordeal, the Lord God provided for him dual crease. Was he proving God? No, it was God proving his fidelity in the Lord. We need to make what James admonish us in James 1:5-7, to inquire the Lord for wisdom. The Bible besides teaches us that it is a wise thing to be after for the hereafter ( Prov 6:6-8 “ Travel to the emmet, thou sluggard ; see her ways, and be wise: Which holding no usher, superintendent, or swayer, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her nutrient in the crop. ” )

Looking for occupations. We must direct our sketch and applications. Do non sit at place and delay for the phone to ring and or the mailman to name if we have non taken any action. ( Testimony of Sophia – three interviews today ) .

Lapp as for surveies and tests, our undertakings at work – demand to analyze difficult and make our assignments. Need to set in our attempt and perpetrate them to the Lord.

Psalm 37:3-5 Trust in the LORD, and do good ; so shalt 1000 dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself besides in the LORD ; and he shall give thee the desires of thine bosom. 5 Commit thy manner unto the LORD ; trust besides in him ; and he shall convey it to go through.

Decision.

It is non whatever will be will be. But whatever we can make, we do.

God will assist David get the better of Goliath, but He uses non merely David, but a rock. David picked five rocks, and non one, as he trusted in God more than himself.

I have planted, Apollos watered ; but God gave the addition. So so neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth ; but God that giveth the addition. ( 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 ) .

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