God is Working

As we begin Holy Week, I want to share a portion from Experiencing God by Henry and Richard Blackaby.

My Father is working until now, and I am working. (John 5:17)

God did not create the world and then abandon it to run itself. He is not sitting in a heavenly throne room passively observing activity on earth. God is orchestrating history. He is present and in the middle of human activity. God is actively at work redeeming a lost world, and He chooses to involve His servants in carrying out His redemptive plans.

One of the greatest tragedies among God’s people is that even though they long to experience Him, they do not know how to recognize Him at work in their midst. These are extremely exciting days to be walking with the Lord! You don’t want to miss out on what He is doing. The Holy Spirit will instruct you and help you to know when and where God is working. Once you know where He is working, you can adjust your life to join Him in His divine purposes.

I’ve heard stories from people all around the world who suddenly discovered God had been present and active in their workplace or church or family or neighborhood all along, but they had not recognized it. When God revealed where He was at work, suddenly they were able to start a noon hour Bible study at their job site, see a revival come to their church, help a spouse draw closer to the Lord, or lead a neighbor to faith in Christ. Before, these Christians had assumed God was not doing anything significant around them. After God revealed to them what He was doing, they realized they had been missing out on God’s great work.

Watch to see where God is at work around you. When He shows you, join Him in His work. Keep your attention on God’s call to an assignment rather than on your spiritual gifts, personal desires, skills,abilities, or resources. Once you understand God’s call to an assignment, obey Him, and He will work through you to accomplish His divine, eternal purposes.

I have often though what everyone was doing this week leading up to the crucifixion. We know Christ was preparing but what about the disciples? I wonder if for them it was just another week. I’m sure the Pharisees were busy planning the Passover and most Jewish families were preparing to observe this important moment, remembering God’s deliverance from Egypt those many years ago, but I seriously doubt they were aware of Gods current work that was happening. You see it’s so easy to be so wrapped up in the normal things of life, business as usual. I know most of us are keeping abreast of the Coronavirus and how it’s affecting our lives. Just as the Pharisees, the Jewish people, the disciples and the Romans, we too can be so living and surviving that we miss God at work. While these times are challenging, I believe that God is at work among us. For instance, to my knowledge, all of us are still safe and healthy. Many of you are hopefully reading these daily devotions and I see this as an opportunity for me to get to connect with you on a daily basis. We’re moving forward with our ability to produce worship services and post them on the web which in the future is going to give us a broader reach with the gospel. We are praying for and connecting with each other more now than ever. While we are not able to meet physically we are still functioning as the church. I think this years Maundy Thursday is going to be more spiritually meaningful than perhaps any other we’ve observed. It appears that God has graciously given us the wisdom and knowledge to be able to have drive-in church on Easter Sunday. God is truly at work. Look for it! Embrace it! The best is yet to come, beyond imagination. Like those that week little do we know what God is getting ready to do. Out of the darkness came a glorious resurrection that transformed the world. I’m believing that out of this crisis is coming a revival, a renewal of His church and a harvest of souls that will eclipse the past.

Please know you’re in my thoughts and prayers daily. Can’t wait for Sunday!!!