Good morning. It is time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Those may not be the words we most want to hear, but it is hard to argue with them. We look around and there is little doubt that there is much to do.
So, of all the work that seems like a godly task, what should we do first. What is the work that God most wants us to turn our attention towards? Let’s take a look at the words of Jesus: When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” John 6:25-28
This moment with the Lord occurred soon after that event we know as “the feeding of the five thousand.” Jesus had left the crowds of people, but they diligently searched for, and found Him. Jesus knew their hearts. Their hope was that upon finding Him, He would continue to feed them. Food without effort was a dream come true for these folks. Jesus immediately identified the truth of the matter and challenged them, Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. Their answer isn’t unreasonable: “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” “Okay”, they say to Him, “it is reasonable that we need to work for a living.” But what kind of work should we be doing in order to please God?
His response is amazing: Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
What is the job that needs doing that will most please God? What kind of work do we need to engage in to make sure that we are doing our fair share? Reasonable questions, I would say. But Jesus’ response, well that is pretty incredible.
There is no work greater than this: that we believe in Jesus. He is not talking about a superficial understanding kind of belief. We read of that in James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
No, that kind of belief isn’t what God is interested in from us. It is the life changing kind of belief that He is interested in. It is the kind of belief that breaks our heart, humbles our spirit, causes us to reach out to Jesus in love. That is the belief that is “the work” that interests God.
Is your faith at that level today? Or do you have some work to do?
Vern