My Part and God’s Part
Musings from the Garden
By Peggy Wyar
I read this scripture the other day and it captured my imagination. Do you ever read something that gets you thinking a certain way, causing a “rabbit chase” of ideas and questions? That’s what this verse did for me.
Psalm 138:8 AMP “The Lord will accomplish that which concerns me; Your [unwavering] lovingkindness, O Lord, endures forever— Do not abandon the works of Your own hands.”
I started thinking about all that concerns me - my faith, my spouse, my family, my church, my neighbors, my health, my finances, my home, my dreams, my activities - so many things. The stuff of living life on this planet is an endless list of things that concern and affect me. I imagine you may have similar lists.
Yet this scripture indicates that the Lord will accomplish what concerns me. What does that mean? In looking at other versions, the word for accomplish was interchanged with complete, perfect, fulfill His purpose, and do everything for me. I sensed the Lord was showing me His part in our relationship. He is the One changing and doing and completing in me.
Philippians 1:4-6 NIV “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
This verse in the New Testament tells me a little more about His work. Since I’ve partnered with Him in the gospel, He will finish and complete the good work that He started in me the day I believed the gospel. He is the One changing me and transforming me in ways that begin on the inside and eventually show in my behavior. I am partnering with Him…being a partner means I am concerned about His success. Yet, when I look to myself and my abilities, I wonder if anything good is happening.
2 Corinthians 4:16 AMP “Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day.”
Based on these verses, I can be confident that God is transforming my heart and spirit (the inner me) and He will finish what He has begun. But what is my part? The people of Jesus’ day had a similar question.
John 6:28-29 NIV “Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
“To believe in the One He has sent” was the answer Jesus gave. God sent Jesus as an atonement for sin, as the perfect sacrifice to pay my debt. Jesus came not to condemn the world but to save it, because God so loved His created image bearers. (From John 3:16-17) Can I believe in Him? Can you?
We have God’s Word, with example after example of His redemptive love and mercy towards the people He made. He offers invitation after invitation to come to Him, to receive from Him, to be with Him. Have you responded to His invitation?
Ephesians 2:4-10 NIV “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
I am made alive because of God’s love for me. He points to the kindness He has shown me to showcase His incomparable grace. I am His masterpiece, and just as any artist will tell you, the art piece isn’t done until the artist says it is finished!
By His grace, I will continue my partnership with God by doing what He has prepared for me to do, believing in Jesus and His gift of salvation, and loving Him wholeheartedly. I rejoice, knowing He will finish His part, and that He helps me keep my part.
Praise God for His amazing grace!