BY HELPING OTHERS, YOU ARE HELPING YOURSELF

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

JUNE 06, 2022

TOPIC: BY HELPING OTHERS, YOU ARE HELPING YOURSELF

BY T. O. BANSO

“Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock” (Exodus 2:17 New King James Version).

Moses fled Egypt when he realized that people were aware that he had killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew, his kinsman. He knew that if Pharaoh should hear it, his life was not safe. Truly, when Pharaoh heard it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled and dwelt in the land of Midian (Exodus 2:11-15).

When Moses got to Midian, he sat down by a well. The seven daughters of Reuel, the priest of Midian, came and drew water for their father’s flock. The shepherds drove them away but Moses stood up, helped them, and watered their flock (verses 16-17). He had never met these ladies before but helped them.

When the seven daughters of Reuel got home, their father asked them why they returned so soon, which suggests that they had previously been having issues with the shepherds who would drive them away and prevent them from drawing water in time.

They told their father that an Egyptian, referring to Moses, delivered them from the hand of the shepherds, drew enough water for them, and watered the flock. Their father asked for the whereabouts of Moses and demanded that they should go and call him so that he might eat.

Moses was new in the land and didn’t have a place to stay at this time. Verses 21-22 say, “Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. And she bore him a son. He called his name Gershom, for he said, ‘I have been a stranger in a foreign land’” (New King James Version).

Did you see how Moses got his accommodation problem solved? When he was helping these daughters of Reuel, he had no idea that he was helping himself. He didn’t know either that he was about to get a wife by that act of kindness. When you’re helping somebody, you could be helping yourself unknowingly. Some have missed their help because they did not help those they should and could help.

Exodus 2:17 says, “Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock” (New King James Version). If he had not helped the daughters of Reuel, he could have faced some challenges foreigners or strangers faced. But by helping these ladies, he helped himself. Hebrews 13:2 says do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

There is a similar story in Genesis 24 when the servant of Abraham was sent to look for a wife for Isaac, his son, from his country and family. Rebekah who was from Abraham’s family came to draw water from the well. Not knowing who Abraham’s servant was and his mission, she granted his request for water to drink and volunteered to draw water for his camels also, until they had finished drinking. This was not an easy task because thirsty camels that have travelled a long distance would drink many gallons of water.

Before Rebekah came to the well, Abraham’s servant had set a ‘qualifying test’ that the prospective wife for Isaac must pass! Genesis 24:13-14 says, “Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’ — let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master” (New King James Version). Rebekah was not aware of this at all.

Nevertheless, she passed the test. She helped Abraham’s servant, not knowing she was helping herself. “So she said, ‘Drink, my lord.’ Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink.  And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, ‘I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.’ Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not” (Genesis 24:18-21 New King James Version). 

After the camels had finished drinking, Abraham’s servant gave her a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel and two bracelets for her wrists, weighing ten shekels of gold. He asked whose daughter she was and if there was room in her father’s house for them to lodge. He went home with her and he told the family about his mission. In the end, he returned with her as Isaac’s wife after she and the family had agreed to the marriage.

When Rebekah was helping Abraham’s servant, she didn’t know she was helping herself. Maybe she had been praying for a husband before then. She didn’t know that that was how the answer to her prayer would manifest. She got a husband that same day and the following day, she left for her husband’s house. By helping others, you are helping yourself.

In Luke 7, the centurion built a synagogue for the Jews and because of this, the Jews pleaded with Jesus on his behalf for the healing of his servant. “And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue” (Luke 7:4-5 New King James Version). Jesus granted their request. Eventually, the centurion’s servant was completely healed (verse 10).

Suppose this centurion did not build the synagogue for the Jews. His servant could have died because no Jew would have pleaded with Jesus to heal him. But when he built that synagogue, he didn’t know that one day he would need the elders of the Jews to plead his case before Jesus. He even told his friends to tell Jesus while he was on his way to his house that he was not worthy that Jesus should enter under his roof. He said he did not think himself worthy to come to Jesus. But because of his good deed, he could send the elders of the Jews to Jesus and they went.

Proverbs 3:27-28 says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,’ when you have it with you” (New King James Version).

By helping others, you are helping yourself. This does not mean that it is the people you help that will repay you or that your reward will come immediately as in the cases in the scriptures we have seen. Nevertheless, while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest shall not cease (Genesis 8:22). Whatever a man sows, he will also reap (Galatians 6:7).

Matthew 5:7 says blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. The Bible also says in James 2:13 that there will be no mercy for anyone who has not been merciful to others. In other words, those who show mercy to others are helping themselves because they will also receive mercy. You can’t help everybody but help those you have the power to help. Listen to the Holy Spirit, for the human heart is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9a). Do not grow weary in doing good (2 Thessalonians 3:13). Also, Galatians 6:9 says we should not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: I shall not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in my power to help them. In Jesus’ name, I shall not miss my help by not helping those I have the power to help. Father, send helpers to all those who need help in whatever form at this time.

(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org