My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working. I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.” John 5:17, 19-20
Are there times in your life when you respond to things from your own experience or wisdom?
How do things turn out for you when you do this?
Relying on our own experiences or wisdom can lead us to trouble. It is best to rely on Biblical truths and the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth. Jesus watched to see where the Father was at work and joined Him. He only did what His Father was doing. Look to see what God says and how He works in the Scriptures. Make your decisions based on biblical principles. However, don’t base your decisions on one isolated case when studying the Scriptures. You will see that God is working in a similar way with you when you learn how God worked throughout history. Your experience is only valid as it confirms what is in the Scriptures. Our experience cannot be our guide. God’s word does not change. When we do the Father’s will it will match up to the scripture.
Our experiences should be based on the truths of what scriptures say. Christians are getting more and more disconnected from the Bible. We are getting where we don’t know exactly what the Bible says. We are taking worldly solutions, programs, and methods as the answer to our spiritual problems. WE have to go back to the guidance of what the Bible says and let it be our guide for our faith and practice.
In our verse today, God is always at work, Jesus the Son can’t do anything by Himself. He only does what the Father does. God the Father shows the Son, Jesus, what he is doing because the Father loves the Son and shows him what he does. He will show even greater things than these. This verse is pretty clear about how Jesus knew what to do. We can follow Jesus’ example of joining God’s work.
Here are the steps:
- the Father has been working right up until now
- God has me working
- I do nothing on my own initiative
- I do what the Father is already doing
- The Father loves me
- He shows me everything that He, Himself is doing
This model is for your life personally and for the church. This describes a step by step approach to the love relationship in which God accomplishes His purposes. This is where we want to watch to see where God is working and join Him. It’s not about our life but what God is doing.
God is working in and around your life. He is doing the same in my life. Yet, even though we have a deep desire to experience God, we are not recognizing Him. Hopefully, we will learn how to recognize God who is working in and around our life.
Are you ready to follow Jesus’ example of how to live for God?
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are so wonderful. We praise your holy name. Thank you for your Word that we get to study to learn more about you and who you are. Thank you for having Jesus be the perfect example to follow. I pray that as we learn how to experience you that we will apply what we learn.
In Jesus Name
Amen
