Is It REALLY Help?

The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a Temple to the LORD, the God of Israel. So they approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders and said, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God just as you do. We have sacrificed to him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here.” But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel replied, “You may have no part in this work. We alone will build the Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us.” [Ezra 4.1-3]

Here is a Biblical example of how sin and idolatry attempt to 'do their thing.' They try to infiltrate genuine devotion to God under the guise of helping.

Here is a little saying I like to quote: "Help isn't help unless it helps."

God's people, in the account above, were astute enough to discern that the "help" they were being offered was, in fact, a plot of the enemy to ultimately work against them.

Fast forward to today. Are God's people today as discerning as the people Ezra describes? Or, have we so allowed "the world" to infiltrate our devotion to God that it has successfully frustrated and demeaned our intentions? The prudent reader here will research this!

I will just leave it at that...

Father, help us have 'both eyes open' concerning the 'help' we get in our devotion to You. Is it REALLY help?