Day 13: A Mind to Work #21 Day Purity Challenge

Today, I wanted to talk about the passage from Nehemiah about the people having a mind to work, but as I was researching I stumbled upon a passage in John 6, that really convicted my heart. Read the following passage below...

John 6:22-36

The next day, the crowd that had remained on the other side of the sea realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with His disciples, but they had gone away alone. 23However, some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum to look for Him. 25When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

26Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

28Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”

29Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”

30So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

32Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34“Sir,” they said, “give us this bread at all times.”

35Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst. 36But as I stated, you have seen Me and still you do not believe.

Notice that Jesus is trying to stress to the people, that He was the one they should be looking to and entrusting their lives in. They made a great effort to find Jesus, but they sought Him in vain. They kept going around what Jesus was trying to point out, asking Jesus to do more and prove more, but He was the fulfillment of God's word. The word became flesh and was dwelling among them (John 1). They were being taught by God himself on what they needed to do to gain eternal life, but they were more concerned in what they wanted from Jesus. They even asked Him what can they do to do the works of God to receive this bread He was talking about.

I realized that its easier for us to work for something, than to trust someone else to provide for our needs. We want to know what we must do for God, instead of surrendering our lives into His hands. Many asked what do I have to do to be saved, in other words, just tell me what boxes I need to check off, and let me in your Kingdom. We tend to think more earthly than spiritual when receiving God's word.

Let's examine ourselves. Are we striving in our journey with God, or are we relying on the bread of Heaven, who is Jesus Christ, the son of God to direct our works. What pleases Him is faith. Total reliance, dependence, and trust in Him. He is more concerned with relationship and fellowship, than entertaining us with miracles and wonders. He is secure in Himself, and is sure of the word that He has spoken to us. Every work should point back to Christ.

Prayer: Lord, I trust you with the work of my hands. I repent for striving to get earthly bread and neglecting the bread of Heaven. Jesus, we come to you, seeking your face and not your hand. Settle our hearts as we give you our anxiety and fear of the future. We pray that you would give us a mind and heart to believe in you. We pray that whatever we do brings glory to your name and we pray that you would keep us at the center of your will for our lives and those around us.

Psalm 90:16-17

May Your work be shown to Your servants,

and Your splendor to their children.

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;

establish for us the work of our hands—

yes, establish the work of our hands!