God is ALWAYS WORKING

John 5:16-18:For this reason the Jews began to persecute (annoy, torment) Jesus and sought to kill Him, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, My Father has worked [even] until now, [He has never ceased working; He is still working] and I, too, must be at [divine] work. 18 This made the Jews more determined than ever to kill Him [to do away with Him]; because He not only was breaking (weakening, violating) the Sabbath, but He actually was speaking of God as being [in a special sense] His own Father, making Himself equal [putting Himself on a level] with God. (Amplified Bible)

I chose to use the Amplified Bible translation because I believe it speaks clearly to what the Lord has placed in my heart over the past several days during prayer and meditation time. Life has a way of bringing discouragement to our lives. We may find ourselves asking this question or one similar to it; "God, are you at work in this situation?" In all honesty there have been times in my life in which I looked for the work of God in the situation that I was facing. And there were times that I struggled to see and sense the evidence of His presence and His power. But this passage in John has always been a source of hope and encouragement to me. These words of Jesus brought to my attention the reminder that God has been working in my past; He is working in my present and He will work in my future.

My wife and I took a few days of vacation last week. We wanted to break away from our normal schedule and just enjoy a few days of rest and relaxation. I gave you that information so that you would understand my next reminder. Aren't you glad that God never takes any time away from His normal "work" schedule? Aren't you glad that He is on the "job" 24/7 and He does not even take any vacation time? Psalm 121:4, "Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps." (NLT)

We can rejoice in the fact that God is always watching over us and that He is at work to bring His kingdom to fruition in our lives. We must learn to celebrate His work in our lives even when we grow uncomfortable or sense the power of conviction at work in our hearts.