@PatrickoftheG My understanding of "help yourself and God will help you" isn't do A then B will/might/could happen. The act of yourself helping yourself is the same act as God helping you. I think it's like how in the 13th warrior, the viking believes their lives are already written. This doesn't mean they can be passive and have glory come their way. In both cases, I don't think there is a divinity taking an active part of most people's lives. They might have set things up, consequences happen.