Today's encouragement comes from 1 Samuel 14:45b, where we read these interesting words:
"As the LORD lives, not one hair of his [Jonathan's] head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day."The people of Israel (here, above) are saving Jonathan, Saul's son, from Saul's ridiculous plan to kill him. The words they use in their defense of Jona-than are interesting ones: "he [Jonathan] has worked with God this day." There is a legitimate sense in which Christians "work with God”—not only in the world, preaching the gospel and conquering His foes; but even in the sanctification process, whereby our new man in Christ "cooperates" with The Spirit's work which conforms us into our Savior’s image. Nonetheless, we ab-solutely NEVER work “with God” for our justification. We are entirely passive in it, as it comes to us as a priceless gift of God’s grace.
In the proper sense of the term, may all of us believers be found to be "work-ing with God" today, as we fully trust in Jesus our blessed Redeemer.
[Puritan quote of the day: "We cannot of ourselves think a good thought (2 Cor. 3:5), but the Spirit elevates and fixes our hearts on God.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Great Gain of Godliness"]
