Does God Help Those Who Help Themselves?

Perhaps you've heard it said that God helps those who help themselves, which is perhaps the most quoted verse not found in the

Bible. Well, I believe the phrase from the

Bible is the Lord helps those who help themselves. This is really an example of God helps those who help themselves.

God gave us everything for us to do things for ourselves. God helps those who help themselves.

The quote is sometimes said to be Benjamin Franklin's written in poor Richard's almanac, but an earlier appearance shows up in 1698 in an article entitled

Discourses Concerning Government by Algernon Sidney. That's just a bonus fact for you. God helps those who help themselves is not found anywhere in Scripture.

Just because it's not in the Bible does that mean it's completely wrong? I don't think so. Yes, it's wrong.

The Bible actually instructs us to rely fully on the Lord and not on ourselves. Proverbs 3 5 says trust in the

Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 28 26 says whoever trusts in his own mind trusts in a fool and Jeremiah 17 5 says cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength whose heart turns away from the

Lord. Jesus said if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

In Isaiah 66 2 the Lord says this is the one to whom I will look he who is humble and contrite in spirit and who trembles at my word.

So God does not help those who help themselves. He comes to those who humble themselves and trust what he has said in his word when we understand the text.