Help Wanted

Scheduled Reading: 

• 2 Chronicles 24 - 25
• Psalm 94:2-7
• Proverbs 19:19-20
• Acts 22:22-23:11

Selected Passage:  Proverbs 19:20

I don't believe for a minute the above Psalm applies only to people with hot tempers! Personal experience in my own foolishness and in the behavior of others around me has proven this proverb quite true.

So many times we think we do others a kindness when we rescue them from their troubles brought on by their own neglect or foolish behavior. Misguided benevolence on our part actually sentences a poor soul to a lifetime of folly. 

Consider the shoe being on the other foot for a moment. How about when we commit the foolishness. Do we not believe that the mercy and grace extended to us by those around us when we fail, is a help? I wonder at times how my life would be different today had someone left me to wallow in my mistakes just a bit longer. On this side of things, it is a bit easier to see how yesterday's kindnesses have grown into today's accomplices.

In the big mix of it all, however, it is difficult to tell when we are enabling or when we are really helping. Our hind sight is 20/20 vision. However the Holy Spirit sees all things perfectly well now. So we must rely on His direction when we help others - or want to cry out for help ourselves.