CO-OPERATION WITH DIVINE POWER.
By David Paulson
God does nothing without our co-operation. God’s dealings with people in the times past show that the miracle-working power comes from God, but the responsibility of having it done rests upon the human agent. A few examples will illustrate this:— When the angels of God were to tear down the massive walls of Jericho, the children of Israel were requested to walk around the walls once a day, and on the seventh day seven times, and then give a shout. From a human standpoint this might seem a very absurd thing; but if they had not done their part, the walls of Jericho would never have fallen down. At a certain time Naaman wished to be cleansed of his leprosy. He went to the man of God, who merely told him to go and bathe in the river Jordan, and he should be whole. There was no special virtue in that water, more than in any other kind of river water, and Naaman knew it. He thought that the man of God would come out and “touch the spot,” and then the work would be done. But it was not done until he did what he had been told to do. Noah was to be saved from the flood of waters. He built the ark, but be assured that had it not been for a special miracle, the ark itself would have been dashed to pieces upon the angry billows. Who believes that the Lord would have saved Noah by a miracle unless he had done his part? There are many who expect to be preserved when a thousand fall on one side and ten thousand on the other, in the same way that Naaman expected to be cured. They think that in some way God will “strike on” them, and they will stand; but we may be sure that if we are preserved, soul, body, and spirit, by a miracle, the Lord will lay the responsibility upon us by giving us a part to act. This is clearly brought to view in Eph. 6:13, 14: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore.” But we have no promise that we shall stand unless we have “done all to stand.”