Co-Workers With God

Daily Reflection: John 5:19-21 - 11/29/2023

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, 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, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. — John 5:19-21

There is nothing more important for us to do than to pay attention to God. Our Christianity has been so mutilated that we have things like Daily Devotions, which represents the small portion of our day that we focus on God. The rest of the day we pay him scant attention. We do not think it is possible to have our attention on God as we do all that we do. Because of this we miss out on the abundant life and supernatural provision that God desires to share with us.

Jesus, as usual, shows us the better way. The Son, he says, “can only do what he sees his Father doing.” There is a type of discipleship at work here. He watches God to see what God is doing, then he does it.

Could this be how Jesus performed so many miracles? Could it be that he saw the Father doing a healing work, and Jesus just joined him in it? Other faithful ones have testified to the truth of this. John Wimber, for instance, shared about how the Holy Spirit would reveal to him who he is healing, and Wimber would simply announce to that person, “be healed!” And they were.

But even apart from what we consider miraculous, to give God our attention as we do everything else that is on our schedule will enable our work to be supernatural. Charles Spurgeon, known for his tireless work, was once visited by the famous missionary, David Livingstone. When Livingstone saw the immense workload Spurgeon had each day, he asked him, “How can you accomplish so much in one day?” Spurgeon replied, “You forget, Mr. Livingstone, there are two of us working.”

Spurgeon’s eyes were on God as he worked; therefore, in essence, it wasn’t Spurgeon’s work, it was God’s, Spurgeon was his incarnate assistant.

God is at work all over the world, and he awaits his children to come and join in his labor. No, the work is not only of the religious sort; he is working in every discipline, every field of art and entertainment, every lab and practice, everywhere you are. Fix your eyes on him, watch what he is doing, join him, that his good work might flow throughout the whole earth.

Father, long ago the Psalmist said, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain.” Teach us to pay attention to you. By your Spirit’s power, enable us to discern what you are doing. Then grant us the grace to join in your work, that your name may be exalted in us, through us, and in all the earth. Do this for Jesus sake, who perfectly modeled this way for us. Amen.

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