Created to BeSample

Partnering with God By Amanda Johnson Has a small child ever helped you make cookies? If so, you know how much extra time, patience, and clean-up it takes. Sure, it would be easier (and faster!) for you to make the cookies without their “help,” but the look in the child’s eyes when they get to enjoy eating the finished product of their work makes it all worth it. In the same way, have you ever wondered why God needs you to help build His kingdom? If He is really the all-powerful, all-knowing God, couldn’t He do this without your help? Wouldn’t it be easier for Him to do it Himself? The reason God needs us is because He has decided to need us to build His kingdom. And, the crazy part about it is He doesn’t need anything. Acts 17:25 says, “Nor is He worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.” He is self-existent, self-sufficient, and self-sustaining. Yet, God decided to need you. God doesn’t need us to exist, yet He decided to need us to co-exist. He chose to partner with us on the earth. The first example of this takes place in Genesis 2, when God let Adam name the animals. Genesis 2:19 says “And whatever Adam called each living creature that was its name.” He decided to partner with Adam by letting him choose the names rhinoceros, llama, and turkey! In Mark chapter six, it says, “Jesus could not do a mighty work there because of their unbelief.” Now that’s an amazing verse! It doesn’t say Jesus would not, it says He could not because they didn’t believe. Is it possible God has limited His unlimited power on this earth to our faith— our partnership ? Mark 16:18 says, “They will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.” It doesn’t say, they will recover and they will lay hands on them. They will recover is God’s part, but it doesn’t happen until we do our part. He chooses to use our prayers to heal and build His kingdom. Jesus also said, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose will be loosed” (Matthew 16:19). His kingdom is built and expanded through our hands and our prayers! God has a great plan to redeem the brokenness in the world and build His kingdom here on earth, but it requires a partnership with us, His Church. What is your God-given role in His kingdom? Have you decided to partner with Him? ### Prayer Lord, thank You for choosing to partner with me on the earth. Please help me see what is my part in building Your kingdom. I humbly offer all I have to Your work on the earth. In Jesus’ name, Amen. ### Memory Verse "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:19