A God Who Helps Because He Cares

     There is an old adage, "God helps those who help themselves", which sounds so plausible that it is often attributed to scriptural truth. The idea is, if we apply a reasonable amount of self-effort to improve the circumstances of our life, God will jump in at some point and help us along the way. Many people are convinced that this saying has a biblical basis. In fact, in a survey by George Barna, 75% of American teenagers said they believed that it was the central  message of the Bible! On the surface there seems to be a fair amount of credibility to this axiom. On the other hand, what about those who cannot help themselves? The reality is, we have all found ourselves in difficult situations and facing complicated issues in our lives. Many people are ill equipped to deal with these issues in a positive way, thus, they turn to negative, unhealthy solutions that create other, often more complex, problems. Many times these folks simply do not know where to turn, or what steps to take to reverse the cycle in which they have found themselves. If an individual is not able to improve his or her situation in life, do they somehow have less value in the eyes of God? Are we to believe that God has no interest in extending a helping hand to those who just can't seem to "get it together"? On the contrary! Listen to what the bible says,"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble". (Psalm 46:1) In Jeremiah we are reminded, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord". (Jeremiah 17:7)

     Unfortunately, the counsel of our society encourages this "God helps those who help themselves" mentality. The humanistic thinking in our secular culture is built on the premise that man is fully capable of solving the problems of the human race, apart from the involvement of a Sovereign Being (God). In fact, those who are walking with their Creator in a secure, loving relationship, are often labeled as weak, or in need of a crutch. The bible actually condemns this self help mindset, "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool: but whoever walks wisely, will be delivered" (Proverbs 28:26).

     The main reason that we are incapable of solving the problems of the human race, much less our own problems, is that we are the problem! A central truth in the scriptures is that man was created in moral perfection, in order to live life as he was designed to live, in connection with God. When we are disconnected from God, we are incapable of governing our lives, or the lives of others, to meet the moral satisfaction of our Creator. The biblical truth is, God desires our trust and dependence upon Him, because He cares deeply about us as individuals, and our families. We don't need to "go it alone" in life, or "pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps" and "keep on keepin' on"! God loves us as we are, and desires that we would come to Him even in our brokenness, to find the resources to live our lives as He designed us to live.

     We believe that God has already given us a tremendous resource to help us sort out the difficult situations and complicated issues that often are a part of our lives. In the midst of the many philosophies and ideologies available in today's society, we believe that the bible is still very much relevant as a foundation on which to build our lives and is entirely sufficient in itself as the primary means of help and guidance to the individuals and families who may be struggling in their day to day existence. The bible is a book that contains examples of real life experiences, it is a book that dispenses enduring wisdom, it is a book that imparts Divine principles by which to live, it is a book that inspires, it is a book that chastens, it is a book inspired by God as an indispensable tool in building proper relationships, with God and with our fellow man.

     We at the Come to the Well Biblical Counseling Center would like to introduce you to this life changing book. If you or someone that you know is in a troubling situation, or at a perplexing crossroad in life, we want to be a resource to help you move beyond brokenness and become whole again. "A wise man will hear and increase learning, and  man of understanding will attain wise counsel" (Proverbs 1:5).

Come to the Well

And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.                                                                                                              (Genesis 26:18 KJV)

                Water! Such an essential element required by all living entities here on earth. In the western portion of our United States, where the accessibility of water is so fundamental to the life and livelihood of the populace, scientists are now providing monthly "snow surveys"  during the winter months to determine the availability of water throughout the growing, grazing and tourism season of the summer months.  It is difficult for those of us living here in "water rich" north central Ohio to envision areas of this vast planet where water is treasured so much that individuals are willing to come to blows in order to retain their water rights.

                We see in our scripture above, where Isaac, an ancient patriarch in the history of Israel found himself in such a dilemma. In the course of his nomadic experiences, Isaac eventually makes his way to the valley of Gerar, an area located approximately 40 miles southwest of modern Jerusalem. Gerar had been previously visited by Isaac's father, Abraham, hence, the reference to the wells that Abraham had dug. It seems that sometime between those two visits, the Philistines filled the wells in, probably to discourage others from settling in their territory. Isaac not only reopened those wells but also dug additional wells. For his efforts, Isaac was rewarded by discovering  underground springs that flowed freely, a tremendous commodity in that environment. His efforts did not come without opposition. The local folks took exception to Isaac invading their "territorial rights" and ensuing conflicts resulted.

                The story of Isaac is a wonderful analogy for us today. The spiritual wells of yesteryear have been slowly congested over time. As you well know, the relevance of the bible is under tremendous assault in our society. The philosophy of humanism, which is the antithesis of a biblical worldview has impacted our families beyond belief. Evil has been so well packaged and marketed in our culture that a large number of individuals and families, Christian and secular alike are unwittingly drawn into destructive lifestyles that leave behind broken hearts, broken lives and broken homes.

We would like to introduce you to our vision for Richland and surrounding counties!

"Come To The Well"

A Christ centered, biblical counseling ministry in Shelby, Ohio

                We believe that the word of God, that which we call the bible is still very much relevant for today. Unfortunately, the importance of the bible as a counseling tool to deal with the ills of our society has been edged to the sidelines and we have turned to secular philosophy to solve the important issues facing  us today.  Much like the wells of Isaac's time, we believe that there is a tremendous amount of fresh flowing water yet to be discovered, if one is only willing to put forth the effort to reopen the wells. Of course we are talking about the "living water" that Jesus spoke of in the 4th chapter of John, that which has a proven track record of transforming men, women and families throughout the ages.

                It is our goal to provide opportunity and training, for the Christian society in our area, in the ministry of biblical counseling, a concerted interdenominational effort to reclaim an area of ministry that we have relegated to those who typically disparage the timeless truths of God's word.  Please partner with us in prayer as we move from "vision ' to  'reality", as we seek to "dig again" the well of biblical counseling in north central Ohio.