God's Partners

A special treat this week as I share with you a message from Barney Cargile III, minister for the Sonoma Ave Church of Christ in Santa Rosa CA. God bless!

A few weeks ago I was picking cucumbers in our garden with my two-year-old granddaughter Olive.  She wanted to "help", so as I pulled each cuke off the vine, I handed them to her and she ran to the tub at the end of the row and dropped them in.  Each journey elicited a giggle from her, which, as you can imagine, brought me great delight.  Which do you suppose would have been easier: me tossing them in the tub or handing each individual cucumber to Olive?  If you've ever worked with small children, you know the answer.  But which brought me greater delight?  You know the answer as well.  The joy of my my "partnership" with Olive was worth every extra moment of time.  Did I need her "help"?  Of course not; but I wanted it.  Just think of all the joy I would have missed. 

Witnessing Olive's partnership with me, brought to mind our partnership with God.  God invites us to join him in his work of redeeming humankind (II Cor.5:18-20).  What an amazing thought that is: we are God's partners!  Ever wonder why God would choose to work through us?  Does he need our "help"?  Of course not!  But just as I wanted Olive's "help", he wants us as his partners.  Why?  I suppose for the same reason that I desired Olive's help: we bring him great delight.  Psalm 149:4 informs us that "the LORD takes delight in his people".  Speaking of the Messianic kingdom, Isaiah 62:4 promises that "the Lord will take delight in you."  Even Zephaniah (which has been labeled the "hottest book in the Bible"), declares "He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing (3:17)."  I'm confident that our Father who possesses perfect love takes far more delight in me than I ever could in Olive. So let that thought fill your heart as you close your eyes tonight and sleep: I'm a partner with the Creator of the universe, and He takes great delight in me!

Blessings,

Barney