Partnering with Jesus

"Co-" Ever notice how many times it says we are "co-something" with Christ. We are "co-laborers," we have been "co-crucified," we are "co-heirs" and so many others I can't think of right now. He calls us ambassadors for Him as a representative. He sends us out and says "I have everything, so you should go." (Matt 28:18). Then before we try to be too independent and run off He says "Wait, don't go. Abide in me. If you don't abide in me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5).

So there's this unique partnership between the Supreme ultimate being over everything and ... us.  Some of us have heard it described as a 7 year old "helping" his dad fix the car. The child probably causes more issues than helps, yet at the same time his Dad enjoys him being there and teaching him and partnering with him. In this illustration, the 7-year old could go over and sit on the porch with the dog and the car would still be fixed if his Dad's good at his job, and yes, our Dad is really good at His job.

But I'm beginning to see where God is in control but often waits for us to act before He moves. I know out sounds crazy and I'm not saying He's limited by our activity or inactivity, I'm saying sometimes He seems to let us play the game and interact with us rather than plow driving over and through all of our lives. (Yes, sometimes He's a gentleman and will wait for your request, and sometimes He's a lover burning with passion ripping any logic or rules of physics out of His way to get His bride.)

This morning I was reading through Genesis and noticed something new about Isaac and Rebekah. They had issues getting pregnant. Big deal, so? Lots of people have issues getting pregnant. But remember who Isaac is. Remember who his dad is. Remember what promise God made his dad. A few years before (65 years) God promised Abram he would have a son and God would make his decedents as many as the stars in the sky and the sand grains on the shore. Abraham got antsy (after like 10 years) and had a baby with his wife's servant. God came back going, "nope. I said would would have many decedents through SARAH not just you." (Gen 18:10; Romans 9:9).

What's the point? The point is that the whole promise and covenant of God was passed from Abraham to Isaac (his only son by Sarah). That means God's promise now was contingent upon Isaac having children. So when I read "Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children." (Gen 25:21a) I'm a little surprised. What seems like a sure thing is having troubles coming through. It's a promise of God, yet brick-walled for some reason. The second part of the verse is "The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins." Well, duh, right? I mean, He promised Abraham, He's got to come through. But there is 20 years that pass between the marriage and the birth. I don't know when they started trying for kids, but Isaac pleaded with God. God was pulling Isaac into this covenant promised relationship. Which we could write more about, but my thought was "what happens if Isaac wouldn't have prayed? If Isaac wouldn't have remembered God's promises and declared them back to Him? Wait, God! You promised this. This is what I desire! This is what I want!  Yes, if God gave us Jesus how will He not give us all good things (Rom 8:32). But I think there's something here about chasing God down and 1) reminding Him/us of His promises and holding onto them and 2) talking to God and working with Him rather than sitting on our butts saying "bring it forth!" 

So I refuse to think of all of the "does that mean I missed..." of the past. I didn't get it/have it and I'm doing fine now. What I want to look for is what is it that God has promised that He's waiting on me to grasp a hold of? And what is it that God want to do that He's waiting for a vessel or son/daughter to stand up and go for? He wants the whole world saved, but how many people do we grasp that promise and go after? He want to heal everyone, but how many people do we go after and pray for?  He wants the whole world sheltered, but how many people do we bring in? This is not a condemnation of what we haven't done, this is an invitation of what He's doing and what we can join in on. 

Some things I'm thinking about:
-a wife and good marriage, healthy kids who love Jesus
-people I know and strangers I meet getting saved
-people I know and strangers I meet being healed
-the homeless around me getting jobs, homes, families, real lives
-a job (and that I like) so I have some form of income
-a house in the future for my family
-creative ideas to change the world
-money to make it through the semester

What are you ready for? What are you a going to join in and see what God's been waiting to bring? Partnering with Jesus is like taking a stick and popping the surface tension of Heaven then letting gravity do it's work. So hold onto those promises and keep going after it with Jesus!