“Heaven helps those who help themselves” is a popular saying that almost every child knows.
As parents drum it into their children’s ears, even from childhood.
This connotes that for one to get help from other people, one has to make personal commitments towards achieving that feat.
Religious leaders know this too. And that’s why some prosperity preachers capitalize on this and emphasize to their congregation the need for a generous freewill offering. They promote large donations for church projects, payment of tithes, etc. as gateways to divine prosperity.
Well, truth be told – giving to the Lord with a pure heart and good intention does drives the hand of God to favour us. However, some offerings may not be acceptable to Him.
How then can we draw the hand of the Almighty to bless us? What offering can we offer Him to receive “a hundredfold” from Him? Where can we place “these offerings” to be received from Him?
What offering can be rejected by Him even if it was done with a pure heart? And how can we continually please Him to enjoy eternal blessings?
Let’s look at some Bible characters that rendered one form of services to the Lord. And the outcome of their sacrifices.
Divine Encounters During Daily Service
Abraham had served God faithfully for almost a century without having his wish met.
However, he continued his selfless service to the Lord and fellow man until, incidentally, he hosted some heavenly guests. And received an affirmation of divine promise (Genesis 18:1-10). The result was the birth of a covenant child, Isaac.
Lot, Abraham’s nephew, also hosted some angels. In a land full of sodomy. His heartwarming hospitality to shield his guests from any harm from the Sodomites earned him divine grace. And his family was rescued from God’s judgment and His wrath that came upon the perverted and corrupt nation (Genesis 19).
A simple gesture of hospitality shown to some Israelites spies who had come to spy on her homeland saved Rahab, a harlot.
She and her family got saved from being ruined with other inhabitants of Jericho (Joshua 2:1-14). Posterity even remembered her long after her demise for her graceful hospitality (Hebrews 11:31).
Hospitality Before Divine Encounter
Showing hospitality to total strangers is here, fingered as the breakthrough for these individuals. Even the Bible recommends in
Hebrews 13:2: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares”.
When expecting divine intervention in your life, home, finances, education, inter-personal relationship with others, healing and health, marriage etc. the golden key here is to be open-minded to give help so as to receive divine help.
Imagine the Widow of Zarephath during a time of severe famine. She chose to feed Elijah with the remainder of her food stock. Though she had just “an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse.”
In the process of dressing it so she and her son could eat and die, she still gave a portion to the Prophet who ate it and blessed her. That was a major turning point for her. Imagine what her fate would have been if she had remained defiant and refused to share her last meal?
Certainly, she would have died in regret of her action.
As you go out today and for the rest of your life, look for a way to bless others.
By doing so, you continually open the door for divine breakthrough… And may have fed angels unawares!
Shalom!
