The Psalmist said in Psalm 121:1–2, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
By nature, man is limited in all areas, even though he is the zenith of God’s creation. Created in the image and likeness of God, yet he does not have absolute power like God. He may have a will, a strong one at that, yet he is limited by physical, mental, and spiritual boundaries. The human body is frail, i.e., transient. It ages over time and is subject to physical decline and death. Due to that frailty, it experiences physical exhaustion. It is subject to imperfection. Man does not have all knowledge and, therefore, cannot predict the future perfectly. Also, man lacks the ability to be in different places at the same time.
Even though he is the zenith of God’s creation, he has no control over all that God created and cannot create anything from absolute nothingness like God. He can only manipulate existing matter.
Men are confined by time and have no power to stop time, slow time down, or reverse the flow of time.
In Genesis, when God created man, He said in Genesis 1:26–30:
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.”
Note that God did not give man control over everything He created. He has no control over other men and things like the sun, moon, etc. In essence, man is very limited in the control given to him.
It has been known and seen throughout all ages that man is deficient and, therefore, men have always sought help or assistance from others; men, who are also limited; demons and devils, whose help is not absolute and has great repercussions; and from the Almighty God, who has all the power and is ready and willing to give assistance as long as it will not lead to our destruction.
God helps man in different ways. We have discussed a lot of these in previous write-ups. Today, we are zeroing our discussion in on when God sends help through other men like you. You see, when God wants to bless a man, He will send a man, and likewise, when the devil wants to destroy a man, he will also send a man.
God does send men to man as:
1. Destiny helpers
2. Burden bearers
3. Men of influence or gatekeepers
4. Gifted men
5. Divine connectors
DESTINY HELPERS
This is a person or persons whom God has strategically placed in your life to guide, help, and support you to achieve your goals and fulfill your life purpose. These may provide wisdom through valuable advice, instructions, or even mentorship. They open doors for you and lift you up. They can give financial, physical, and emotional support, especially during hard times.
They may not be in your life forever. Mostly, they are there for a purpose and for a season, and then they leave.
God sees the area in which you are lacking and sends them. They may not be rich or famous. They often show up during unexpected or difficult seasons of your life. Their support is sincere and meets your deepest need.
Sometimes, they are one-off relationships or seasonal relationships.
It is very important for you to understand this. Human nature tends to extend these relationships forever because of the comfort they bring. However, any attempt to do this may lead to unfavorable results. God brought them in during your season of lack, and He expects you to learn and grow into maturity, not to expect such people to take the place of your growth.
Examples of such are Aaron and Hur, who helped support the hands of Moses during the battle with the Amalekites in Exodus 17. Another is Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, in Exodus 18:17–24.
Do not expect that destiny helpers will be a permanent feature. They are there for a season or an assignment.
BURDEN BEARERS
These are the people God sends into your life to stay with you through hard times so as to keep you from giving up or moving backward. They prevent you from going back when the situation gets hard. They help carry your emotional or physical load when your strength is depleted. They stand by you until you achieve your goal or are able to stand and move on.
There is no condition attached.
A good example is Simon of Cyrene. On Jesus’ way to Golgotha, after the beating and terrible treatment He had experienced, He had lost a lot of blood and became very weak. Simon of Cyrene was compelled to help bear His cross — Matthew 27.
GATEKEEPERS OR MEN OF INFLUENCE
These are individuals who, by virtue of their power or influence, can help you on your way to achieving God’s goal for your life. These are strategically placed on your way by God.
They have influence and authority, and you will do well to recognize them in your life. They may not necessarily be of your faith, but they hold great influence.
You cannot fight them or wish them away. You can only ask God to give you mercy and favor in their sight. They hold a very great importance to where you are going, and only God’s mercy will cause them to open the gate for you.
They control the gate and, therefore, control access. If they deny you access, you will just continue to mark time in one place. They hold the authority to permit or block access.
You cannot cast these ones out because they determine what influences or ideas enter or leave. They are very important in the scheme of things. An example is Joseph of Arimathea. They are men of substance and influence, and if you need what they have, you must pray to have favor with them. There are no two ways about it: either God gives you favor with them, or you stay unfulfilled.
Imagine Joseph refusing to interpret Pharaoh’s dream because he was a pagan king. How would he get to a position to preserve the covenant people of God?
GIFTED MEN
These are people who demonstrate extraordinary potential or superior ability in your area of assignment, competence, or others.
When God told Moses to build the tabernacle and the ark of testimony according to the pattern shown to him on the mount, God told Moses in Exodus 31:1–6:
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.
And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee.”
God always gives His children resources and helpers for the assignments He has asked them to do.
As one sent or given an assignment, you need to develop people skills in addition to your discernment. Sometimes, these treasures need to be searched out because they are in earthen vessels.
They are not necessarily as spiritual as you are or in your league, but they have been filled with the Spirit of God, and where your education is lacking, they have been sent to fill that area.
Sometimes, they are so covered in dirt that you need the refiner’s fire to help you. You cannot do it by your power but through prayers to the Great Refiner.
DIVINE CONNECTORS
Another set of helpers God has given to His children is divine connectors. These don’t have what you need, but they know who has it or are connected to them one way or the other.
They are like bridges. These are ordinary or unexpected people sent by God to link you with the right individuals or opportunities that will accelerate your divine purpose.
These may not have the money or power to help you, but they are connected to someone who can help you. They open doors for you. They may look insignificant, but you need sensitivity and humility, or else you may misjudge them.
Examples in the Bible are:
* Pharaoh’s butler — Genesis 41:9
* The servant girl of Naaman’s wife — 2 Kings 5
There are so many examples of helpers that God sent to His people in the Bible. Some of them are:
* Jonathan to David. He stood as a loyal protector and covenant friend. He was like a gatekeeper who helped David when Saul was after his life.
* Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, who helped him when the burden of leading and judging the Israelites during their journey in the wilderness was becoming unbearable to him.
* The elders who were chosen by Moses to help him in judging the people, thereby relieving him of the heavy burden.
* There are others like Barnabas, who helped Saul; Priscilla and Aquila; the women in Paul’s ministerial team; and also the women in Jesus’ team, and so many others.
The important thing is to identify and stick to the purpose of their assignment in your life. A good relationship can be destroyed if you attempt to extend the duration of a helper sent to you for a season or to extend such help to cover all areas.
Note that, if care is not taken, a helper can be placed in the place of God. This is very dangerous, as God will not share His glory with any man.
In my life, I have experienced awesome help from God-sent helpers. However, I have also experienced terrible situations when seasonal help has been extended to include other areas in my life. The relationship became so toxic that I had to block all access.
There is always the danger of expecting too much from such relationships. You must be sensitive enough to know when the season is over or when the assignment has been achieved, and move on.
IT IS WELL