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The Work God Asks of Us
Andrea Lende • October 24, 2020
John 6:29 and 35
The Work God Asks of Us
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/The-Work-God-Asks-of-Us-elgvi4
John 6:29 and 35
“Jesus replied, This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent [ that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger].”
“Jesus replied, I am the Bread of life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trust in and relies on Me will never thirst anymore (at any time).”
Jesus had just fed the five thousand.
He had calmed a raging storm the disciples were fighting in the sea in the middle of the night.
And was now talking to the multitudes.
He told them to stop toiling and striving for the things of this world.
When they asked Him what they should be doing, He simply said, “Believe”.
Believe in Him.
He said to cleave to Him.
Trust Him.
Rely on Him.
And have faith in Him.
As the chaos all around us continues in these difficult times, I found that Jesus’ words are so very appropriate for me today.
I need to know what to do.
He told them not to keep toiling and working on things that do not matter, but to work on the matters of the spirit.
As we do this work, He assures us we will never be hungry or thirst again.
Our spirits will be full.
They will be lacking in nothing.
We would want for nothing more.
So, I seek Him.
I ask Him to fill me with His Spirit.
I ask Him to increase my faith – my belief.
I ask Him to help me do the work He asks me to do.
He assists me.
He never leaves me destitute.
He will always help me, teach me, and lead me to a stronger faith in Him.
Today I choose to believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and pray that He increases my faith in Him every day as He quiets my soul.
May you find that as you ask for the Lord’s assistance in increasing your belief and reliance in Him, that He will quickly come to your aid and will bring you peace.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me that the work You ask of me is simply to believe in Your Son. Thank You, Father, for allowing Your Son to leave heaven and come here to this earth to give His life for me. Thank You for Your perfect plan of salvation. Thank You for placing me here at this specific time so that I can be in relationship with You, Lord. Thank You for allowing me to come to You and be filled with Your Holy Spirit to be strengthened and renewed each day. I pray You continue to speak to my heart and strengthen my faith as I read Your Word and live out each day for You. Keep me close to You, Lord. Keep me seeking You all the days of my life as I wait to see You face to face. Help me do all that You have for me to do here and then quickly bring me home. Help me serve those around me with joy today. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I take pleasure in spending time with You, My child, and will strengthen your spirit as you have need.
Response: Thank You, most gracious and Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.