Does God help those who help themselves?

Does “God helps those who help themselves?” Is it Bible verse, or a Bible proverb, or a Bible teaching, or a Biblical principle? No, this is not found in the Bible. The saying sounds practical and has the ring of authority, so many people cling to it as a truism.

Although no one really knows where the phrase originated, it was alluded in King Richard II by Shakespeare, it was quoted by Benjamin Franklin in his popular Little Richard’s Almanac, and it was quoted by Abigail Adams, the wife of President John Adams. (Proverbial Resolve in the Letters of Abigail Adams by Wolfgang Mieder) Let’s look at what the Bible teaches on the subject…

God has promised to help

• “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” (Genesis 15:1)
• My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. My stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence. (2 Samuel 22:3)
• And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, there is none beside thee to help, between the mighty and him that hath no strength: help us, O LORD our God; for we rely on thee, and in thy name are we come against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee; (2 Chronicles 14:11)
• The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9)
• God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1)
• But I am poor and needy; make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying. (Psalm 70:5)
• Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake. (Psalm 79:9)
• Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10)
• GOD the Lord is my strength (Habakkuk 3:19)
• Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)

God teaches us to work

• In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Genesis 3:19)
• Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. (Proverbs 6:6-11)
• The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. (Proverbs 13:4)
• I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man. (Proverbs 24:30-34)
• The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth. The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason. If a man will not work, he should not eat (Proverbs 26:13-16)
• And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6-10)
• The Christian work ethic — Christians are commanded to have godly work ethic with fairness, honesty, and diligence as if they are working directly for Jesus Christ.
• God abhors laziness (he wants us to be working) — The Bible gives God’s judgement on laziness and slothfulness. It begins with the creative work of God and ends with a reward for each person’s work.

God promises to respond

• The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit (Psalm 34:18)
• For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity. (Psalm 84:11)
• The LORD is near to all who call on him (Psalm 145:18)
• The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. (Proverbs 15:29)
• But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:21-22 NLT)
• “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:19-20)
• These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (1 John 5:13-15)
• God has promised to deliver you — No matter the pain, God has promised to deliver you. He may not deliver you out of the trial, but he will definitely deliver you through the struggle.
• 101 Verses of Hope Beyond the Grave — Here are 101 verses on the Christian’s hope beyond the grave that overcomes fear—not some wishful gambler’s dream—but a confident expectation of the future

The Bible truth is God created mankind for fellowship. When Adam and Eve broke that relationship, God cursed the ground for man’s sake and determined that mankind should work. God promised he would provide the ultimate help with a way to restore the relationship through Jesus Christ. That way has been available to anyone who wanted it for thousands of years. That help is available for you today through the gospel of the good news. So, in a way the saying is true.

• Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
• And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (Colossians 3:15)
• What is the gospel?
• The controversy of sin
• 3 requirements for effectual fervent prayer: ask, seek, and knock
• 10 Ways Prayers are Hindered (#5 is Shocking)