HELPING GOD? Before reading this study it is suggested that you read Gen. 15-17  Gen. 25-32  2Sam 11 & 12 Sometimes when we feel that God wants to do something in our life or should be doing things in our life, me may get anxious about how God is going to carry it out, and we do our bit to help him out. Should we help, or should we just live by Gods word and trust in him for the rest. If we have done our bit and got it wrong, can God still carry out his will or have we blown it. As with most things there are answers to these questions in Gods word. Lets start by looking at Abram and Sarai and the promise they received from God. Gen... 15:5  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6  And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness. So we see that Abram believed what the Lord had told him and he knew he would receive a son. However after a long time of waiting, and maybe worrying about what they should be doing to make sure they didn't miss out on this blessing. They decided to help God. Gen... 16:2  And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, Jehovah hath restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. So lets look at how it worked out. In Gen... 16:4-6 we see problems developing between Sarai and Hagar. Matthew Henry,s Commentary has the following to say about those verses; Abram's unhappy marriage to Hagar very soon made a great deal of mischief. We  may thank ourselves for the guilt and grief that follow us, when we go out of the way of our duty. And there were further complications that may carry consequences through all the way to our present time. As with our day to day lives, our decisions carry consequences. Nevertheless, as we see in the following verses God still carries out his promise and even gives a blessing to Ishmael   . Gen... 17:20  And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. 21  But  my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. So when we are standing on God's promises or have asked Him to take charge of our lives, all we need to do is develop our relationship with Him, study His word, live by it and trust in Him for the rest. For if we give the rest to God, we can rest in God   .  A slightly different angle is seen in the life of Isaac's son Jacob. Rebekah received the following information from God regarding Jacob and Esau; Gen.. 25:23  And Jehovah said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, And two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels. And the one people shall be stronger than the other people. And the elder shall serve the younger. And reading through chapter 25 & 27  we see how Rebekah and Jacob did there bit to ensure that the birth right and blessings went to Jacob. The deception used in chapter 27  to secure the blessings for Jacob does not appear to be a very Godly act, and even after the vision received by Jacob he still was far from the man that God desired him to be; Gen.. 28:12  And he dreamed. And behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13  And, behold, Jehovah stood above it, and said, I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. 14  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. And in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Throughout the following chapters we see some of the fruits of Jacob's deception and his consequential fear of Esau. All the hardships that Jacob endures are still used by God to help shape Jacob's character. It is not really until chapter 32  when Jacob wrestles with God that we see a true change in heart for Jacob. He then goes about reconciling with his brother and trusting in God. It is also here that he first receives his new name Israel. There are many other examples throughout God's word such as how King David committed murder and adultery and because of this suffered consequences yet because of a truly repentant heart God forgave him and went on to bless him through Bathsheba with his son Solomon. So again we see that God is able to bring about his blessings and promises regardless of the mistakes made by us. So if you feel the call of God on your life but think you have blown it, or believe that you are beyond forgiveness and can not gain a relationship with God, look at these examples and think again. If you come to God with a repentant heart He will bless you and desires nothing more than to have a intimate relationship with you. May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob richly bless you and guide you through this life by his Holy Spirit until we meet him face to face.