God waited for trees to grow and seeds to sprout until there was rain and man to cultivate the ground. Genesis 2:5
This may at first seem surprising but it shouldn’t be, God created a pattern for creation right at the beginning. It is a pattern of co-labouring.
Imagine that right at the start of creation, with everything at the disposal of Creator God he withheld the ability of seeds to sprout and trees to grow. These are events which we now see just happen, but in the beginning God was waiting for rain and man to cultivate.
God created for us a pattern, demonstrating a willingness for God to co labor with man and as a result for man to develop ownership of this planet. There are times when our heart’s cry out for the supernatural breakthrough and wonderfully we are seeing this more and more in every sphere of life, but at other times the breakthrough comes through man using his ‘made in the image of God’ skills to bring breakthrough, innovation and advance.
To rely only on God may seem extremely spiritual but at times it will be folly but to say that man exists without God is a superior folly.
As we start this New Year I believe that some of us are being called to cultivate the land as it were, while others are waiting for the rain. It is not either or but there are seasons when God may emphasize for each of us whether we are to get our hands dirty or wait for the rain, the supernatural intervention.
The separation of the supernatural from the natural is in my view a mistake and one which has far reaching consequences for it will relegate the natural gifts and skills of man to being second class.
God became flesh and dwelt among us, in the incarnation of Jesus we have the great example of “both and”.
Being made in the image of God is the great gift given to mankind and one which should leave us in awe of the responsibility we have been given to co-labor with our creator to see his purposes come to pass, purposes which he could achieve without us, but chooses not to.
