Many people think that the phrase "the Lord helps those who help themselves" is in the Bible-- it's not. In fact, throughout Scripture we see the opposite-- the people of God time and time again turning to God for their well being. They understood fortune to be a result of righteousness and God's reward for it. So in one sense, that makes the oft-misappropriated quote apt. To them, "helping yourself" was found in following God's law. If you did that, then life would be okay. Funny how that still applies... maybe not in the direct way it was once thought, and certainly not in the sense that bad things don't happen to good people, but still in a way that if you seek God first, a good life can be lived.
Readings: Zechariah 10:1-11:17; Revelation 18:1-24; Psalm 146:1-10; Proverbs 30:33
