Ps. 123-125
These and the last few Psalms we have read focus on God as our help. They tell us that God is both more than capable and more than willing to help those who trust in Him. This is good to know, but it is not enough just to know it. I think this truth is repeated so much in God’s word because God knows that I need to know it to the depths of my soul. It needs to penetrate to my very bones. I need to read it and meditate on it enough that the knowledge of God as my help becomes part of the very fiber of my existence. When this truth becomes that much a part of me, then I know I will be able to fully trust in it no matter what I face.
2 Thess. 3
A lot of people seem to think that the Bible advocates for helping anybody who is in need. I don’t see that, and this passage is part of the reason why. Paul could not get much clearer than when he wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:10b. “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” He and his companions even went so far as to earn their own upkeep while they were ministering, just to set an example for the believers to follow. Certainly their ministry work was deserving enough of their keep. But they went above and beyond to make the point.
Also, it is good to note that Paul is referring to fellow believers with this statement. This is not some comprehensive manifest on how we should and should not help others in general. For me, it is an admonition to use wisdom, both in how I conduct myself and in how I treat others who claim Christ as their Lord. Anyone who expects to be kept up without sharing their part of the load in some way or another, as able, cannot be considered to be part of the team.