I Give Up My Human Self-Assistance for His Divine Providence

Day 33 of Lenten Devotional Series

Genesis 2:18 (KJV)  And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

True story.  In kindergarten, my teacher lined up all of the girls along one wall, single file.  Along the opposite wall, she lined up all the boys, single file.  She then asked us to answer, one by one, this question:  “What do you want to be when you grow up? 

The girls, one by one, went first:

Teacher.

Doctor.

Singer.

Secretary.

Lawyer.

Then, again one by one, it was the boy’s turn:

Cowboy.

Baseball Coach.

Mechanic.

Astronaut.

Married.

                

That last answer came from me, Five-Year-Old Jon. The entire class erupted in laughter.  I can still remember it like it was yesterday. 

In my defense, the teacher did not ask “What occupation...,” she just asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  All Five-Year-Old Jon did was answer truthfully.

And everyone laughed.

And now Grown Up Jon would today answer that same question with the same answer:  I still want to be married.  I don’t want to be single any more than I did when I was five. 

Grown Up Jon has been married and divorced more than once.  Not only that, I’ve been married and divorced more than once – both before I became a Christian, and well after I became one.   I am by no means perfect, but I’ve never cheated.  I don’t even like to argue – if we disagree I just get quieter (and yes, I understand that can be aggravating too).  I even love to serve, and do the dishes – really!   I love being married. I’m way better at being married than I am being single. So why am I telling you all this?

Let’s start at the beginning.  Literally the beginning:  Genesis. In Genesis 2:18, God tells Adam that He is going to give Him an helpmeet. So in Genesis 2:19, God does just that, right? Well, um, no. Sure, God delivers on His promise to give Adam his helpmeet in Genesis 2:22, but do you know what Adam had to do between Verse 18 (the Promise of a woman) and Verse 22 (the Fulfillment of the Promise)?

Up until Verse 18, the biggest job on earth was to take care of the Garden.  That was the job, the only job there was really, that God had given to Adam up until that point. But then in Verse 19, out of nowhere (well, out of the ground), God creates every animal on land and every bird in the sky (and some commentaries add every fish in the sea).  Every animal.  For the first time.  Out of nowhere. Then guess what God does.  He gives Adam his second job ever.  God parades every animal on earth and every bird in the sky (and perhaps every fish in the sea) before Adam and tells Adam to name them all.

Name.  Them.  All.

And all means all.  All doesn’t mean:  Dog.  Cat.  Bird. All means:  Affenpinscher. Afghan Hound. Airedale Terrier. Barbet. Basenji. Basset Hound. Cairn Terrier. Canaan Dog. Cane Corso. Dachshund. Dalmatian. Dandie Dinmont Terrier. English Cocker Spaniel. English Foxhound. English Setter. Field Spaniel. Finnish Lapphund. Finnish Spitz. German Pinscher. German Shepherd Dog. Harrier. ...Then cats:  American Curl. American Shorthair. American Wirehair. Balinese. Bengal. Birman. Bombay…Then birds:  Acorn Woodpecker, American Crow, American Goldfinch, American Kestrel, American Robin, American Tree Sparrow, Anna’s Hummingbird, Ash-Throated Flycatcher, Baltimore Oriole, Band-Tailed Pigeon…

And don’t get me started on the fish:  Brown Trout, Yellow Trout, Rainbow Trout…You get the idea.

According to Science Daily, “… About 8.7 million (give or take 1.3 million) is the new, estimated total number of species on Earth -- the most precise calculation ever offered -- with 6.5 million species on land and 2.2 million in oceans.”  Sure, some of those were discovered later – or were they?  The Bible says God paraded ALL the species in front of Adam.  (You’re going to quibble over semantics?  Go ahead.  I’ll just be over here getting quieter.)

Then in Verse 20, it says Adam actually accomplished naming all the everythings.  By himself. Then Adam falls asleep in Verse 21 (is it any wonder why?), and God tears out his rib. And then, finally then, in Vers 22, God Fulfills the Promise, and He makes the woman for Adam. Now why do you think God clued Adam in on the fact that help was on the way back in Verse 18, but then made Adam do the World’s Biggest Job first?  Couldn’t God have made Eve in Verse 19 or waited to tell Adam His Promise until Verse 22?  Sure, He could have.  He’s God.  He’s sovereign.  He could’ve done it anyway that He wanted.  But He didn’t do it any other way.  He did it His way.  The right way. Because God’s timing is always right.

It was God’s Promise to make, and it was God’s Promise to fulfill.  It was Adam’s job to name all the animals.  It was God’s job to fulfill the Promise.  And God did – notably with no help from Adam.  Adam was asleep.  Adam didn’t even ask for a helpmeet, nor did he search for one. 

Adam just woke up, and she was there. Divinely provided.

               

So that’s why I told you about my experience of being laughed at in kindergarten, and that’s why I told you about God’s promise to Adam.  Although some would laugh at me today, I’m not wrong to want to be married again.  I’m not wrong because I have Faith that God has made that Promise to me.  I’m not wrong to have Faith either.  I’m not wrong to be determined that my next marriage WILL BE my last marriage.

                

Having said that, it’s God’s Promise.  I need to let Him fulfill it with whomever He wants in whatever timing He wants.  It’s not my job to fulfill it.  Like Adam, it’s my job to do the work He has set before me, no matter how large.  It’s His job to deliver on His promise.

                

One day, I’ll just wake up, and she will be there.

Divinely provided.

       

Genesis 2:18-22 (KJV)

18And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 21And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.