SAY “NO” TO SELF-HELP

(Ps.28:7 ~ The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped…)

The idea of self-help is popular because it supports the notion that we are in control. In the words of the poem ‘Invictus’: “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.”
But we are not! Eventually something happens that reminds us how out-of-control life is, and no self-help book can help us make it right.
Thankfully, Christians are not in the business of self-help. Quite the opposite! To become at true Christian it requires that we admit our helplessness and acknowledge our total dependence on God. “…apart from Me, you can do nothing”, said Jesus (Jn.15:5).

The ancient Israelites were always getting into trouble for trusting human strength rather than God’s (Jer.17:5 ~ This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord”). Yet even after their failures, the Lord said, “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jer.17:7-8).

When especially difficult circumstances or strong temptations invade our lives and remind us of our powerlessness, we have an all-powerful God who works on behalf of those who trust Him. —Julie Ackerman Link

Neither strength of our own, nor goodness we claim;
Our trust is all thrown on Jesus’ name.
In this our strong tower for safety we hide;
The Lord is our power, “The Lord will provide”. —Newton

[read- Jeremiah 17:1-8]

WHATEVER DOES NOT BEGIN WITH GOD WILL END IN FAILURE

2,000 YEAR-OLD SPROUT

(Ps.92:12-15 ~ The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him”.)

In June of 2006, Israeli doctors and scientists successfully germinated a 2,000 year-old date palm seed. Found at the Herodian fortress of Masada on the west bank of the Dead Sea, the seed was tagged “Methuselah” for the man with the oldest recorded age in the Bible (Gen. 5:27 ~ Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years,...). In addition to the challenge of awakening a long-dormant seed, the team also wanted to learn more about the tree praised in Scripture for its shade, food, beauty and medicinal qualities.

The date palm has an important role in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the tree is linked to the temple and presence of God. The New Testament describes excited crowds praising God and throwing palm branches at the feet of Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.

God’s promise to bless the world through a descendant of Abraham (and line of King David) also lay dormant for 2,000 years (Gen. 12:1-3, Is. 7:14, Is. 9:1-7, Is. 11:1-5). Finally, the Seed of promise sprouted. That Seed was Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah. Soon the story of His resurrected life would go out to every nation on earth.

The miracle is now ours to experience. Time is not a factor. Neither is the barren ground of circumstance. All that matters is that we allow our hearts to be the soil in which Christ is welcomed and worshiped. – Mart De Haan

God’s promise like a tiny seed
May seem to be an empty thing,
But hidden in that tiny seed
Is life that awaits the warmth of spring. – D. De Haan

[read- Psalm 92:12-15]

GOD NEVER MAKES A PROMISE THAT HE WILL NOT KEEP