Helped!

Wednesday, 12 June 2024

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” – ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭36‬:‭25‬-‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” – ‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

One of the things I remember and miss the most about being a new convert was the simplicity and childlike trust in the LORD. I was so consumed by Him that things that I’d struggled with “fell off” without me even realising. As time went on, it was easy for me to think I had done something right for me to get to where I am. It’s as if I was saying that it was in my own strength that I overcame those things. This is also the place where you start looking down on those that are still struggling and secretly judge them.

GOD’s Word doesn’t lie, pride comes before a fall. It is this attitude that leads us to fall back into old habits, but more importantly, it’s a sign that we’ve somewhat disconnected from the source of life, Jesus. The LORD is ever so gentle that He doesn’t condemn us but constantly invites us back to that place of being connected, the place of being constantly and continuously filled with the Holy Spirit. That is the place of victory, because without Him we can do nothing.

It is when we are filled that we walk in the spirit, and the Holy Spirit causes us to obey GOD and His Word. When we are empty, it is impossible to obey Him, it is a futile effort of the flesh that only leads to failure over and over again. “The sacrifices of GOD are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O GOD, You will not despise.” Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬. GOD doesn’t help those who help themselves, He helps those who can’t help themselves. He’s calling us back to that place of being filled with His Spirit and focusing on Him and not on ourselves and our shortcomings.

GOD doesn’t help those who help themselves, He helps those who can’t help themselves.