COOPERATING WITH GOD

My former co-counselor, Sherri N., with whom I was privileged to minister for a decade of my life on earth, once purchased some ceiling border paper for our office. The image on the paper was taken directly from the Sistine Chapel in Rome. God and Adam reaching out to one another, and almost touching fingertips. Of course, Adam is wearing little more than his birthday suit, and thus the illustration on the border paper had been slightly ‘amended’ to guarantee our ancestor a bit of privacy.

And as the years dropped like sand in an hour glass, and as literally thousands of our counseling clients would file in and out of the door with a myriad of issues and needs, I would often look up at that ceiling border which depicted God and ole Adam multiplied a couple dozen times over, and I’d muse,

“If I were to characterize that painting, I’d call it, “Cooperating With God.”

And sometime afterwards, I recognized the same concept in the pages of scripture.

I have never heard a sermon on the subject; (except the one I have preached a couple of times). But you’ll definitely find it there “in all its glory.”

For you see, in virtually every chapter of the Bible, the concept is replicated. For again and again, we find God and man mentioned in the exact same verse.

Pt. 2

For example,

“And there went with Saul a band of men whose heart God had touched.” (1^st Samuel 10:26)

(or)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

(or)

“I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice.” (Romans 12:1)

(or)

“Faithful is He who has called you, and He will also do it.” (1^st Thess. 5:24)

Sherri and I have long since gone on to other ministries and other geographical locations. (She is an associate pastor now, and I serve as a pastoral counselor in a different church). I understand the current pastor at “Calvary Church” uses the room as his office, and I have often wondered whether that ceiling border still graces the place. (Interestingly enough, I ran across a three foot remnant of that paper when I was rearranging my home office a couple years ago).

I think that ancient painting by Michelangelo has a great deal to teach us about God’s relationship with man, and even more crucially, I believe the recurring presence of God and mankind in a myriad of scriptural verses speaks volumes about His love for you and me, and His earnest desire that we cooperate with Him in our pursuit of excellence, and the fulfillment of His plans on the earth.


By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from (Mc)Donald's Daily Diary. Vol. 78. Copyright pending
 
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