God is Always Working

In his defense, Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” John 5:17

Illustration

Before Michelangelo created the masterpiece we know simply as “David,” Agostino d’ Antonio had worked diligently but unsuccessfully on a large piece of marble. He gave up his effort and said, “I can do nothing with it.” Some others tried after him but failed. This piece of marble was laid in a rubbish heap for 40 years. Out strolling one day Michelangelo saw the stone and believed that it had great possibilities. We know what happened. From that seemingly worthless stone was carved one of the world’s masterpieces of sculpture- David. For Michelangelo, the job of the sculptor was to free the forms that were already inside the stone. He believed every stone had a sculpture within it, and the work of sculpting was simply a matter of chipping away all that was not a part of the statue. Source F.B. Meyer

God may have rested from creating the world and everything in it on the seventh day, He is still, however, working in His creation to this very day. What is God working on? God is working in the world to transform it into His eternal kingdom it was intended to be before the sin of Adam and Eve. God is working on our sinful nature so we can be transformed into the image of Christ.

How do I know God is always working? Because He is using men and women like you and me to bring hope to the hopeless, to preach salvation to the loss, to feed the hungry, and provide shelter for the homeless. Indeed, God never rests. Psalm 121:4 says, the Lord neither slumber nor sleep. He is working everything for us according to His perfect will.

Because God is always working, we can remain hopeful and encouraged no matter our circumstances. We should not give up on those who are not living up to their potential because God is still working with them. As a parent, I am encouraged by the thought that God is still working on my children. Their best is yet to come. As a member of the Lord’s Church, I am also inspired by the idea that God is still working in His Church and preparing it for the rapture.

In today’s text, Jesus demonstrates His authority as He healed a man that was invalid for thirty-eight years by the pool of Bethesda. When the religious leaders asked Jesus why He healed the man on the Sabbath, the Lord replied, “My father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” Simply stated, God does not take time off from helping the needy, saving the lost, healing the sick, and mending our brokenness. As is mentioned in today’s Illustration, “All our lives God works on us, chiseling away those parts of our lives that hinder us from fitting into His eternal temple.”

God is the Potter, and we are the clay. He is persistently working to transform us into His masterpieces. “When Jesus looks at us, He sees not a rough piece of rock, but He sees inside of us the potential to be a beautiful dressed stone useful in his temple. As the Master Sculptor, He is still working to chip away all that is not a part of what He wants us to be.” This work of transformation is ongoing for as long as we are in this physical world. Thus, we are reminded by the apostle Paul in Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

Questions for Personal Reflection

How do you feel knowing that God is still working in you?

What do you say to those who think God has given up on them?

Prayer- Blessed Lord, please help me to trust you as you continue your perfect work in me. Please help me not to get frustrated and impatient when things are seemingly not working according to my expectations. Help me to wait on you, and know that everything will work together for my good, even when they don’t feel good.