Join God

How often do we want to just jump right in and do God’s work? Like, yea God, I know all the Bible stories and I’ve seen every episode of Veggie Tales… I can lead a VBS class no problem!

*Disclaimer: VBS takes a lot more than the knowledge of a twisted story of the fall of Jericho involving purple slushees being shot through cannons at Joshua and his “marching band”

You know what Christians do a lot of? Making our own plans. We assume God is the one sitting back expecting US to start a new ministry or fulfill His will. WRONG! God is already at work. We don’t have to “start the work”, we just have to join God where He is ALREADY at work. I’ve been reading this book, “Experiencing God” by Henry Blackaby; typically I’m a pretty fast reader, but this book has got me crying and highlighting every other sentence – sorry to disappoint all my previous Reading and Lit. Teachers, but I’m only 70 pages in and I’ve been reading it for a little over a month. Blackaby says that when we join God in what He’s already doing, things happen. We long to experience God, but often miss out on what He’s doing around us because we are looking for things we can do, other than for what God is already doing. “For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me…” John 6:44. We would have no desire for Jesus if it weren’t for God. People do no seek God on their own initiative. When we choose to join God where He is already working, we will see results and experience Him more fully. People don’t accept Christ as their Savior unless the Holy Spirit urges them to.

A good example of this is Zacchaeus. The Father was at work in the little guy, and Jesus recognized that. He saw someone who was so desperate to see Him, someone who was earnestly seeking Jesus out, even though he wasn’t known as a righteous man. Jesus saw that God was working in Zacchaeus’ heart… and guess what? He joined His Father in the work He has already started in this tax-collectors heart.

Because Jesus came to save and be an example to us, we know that this small, seemingly insignificant story in Luke, is actually a lesson we can all learn from. Everywhere Jesus went, He joined in the work the Father had already started. Taking time, to single out one man in a huge crowd, filled with many unbelievers who could have used His mentor ship and guidance; He saw the one man God was already working in – and He didn’t hesitate to join.

I think it’s safe to say we all want to make this huge difference in the lives of people around us. We want to bring as many as possible to Christ. But if we choose this route, our time and energy will be stretched thin. God has a plan. He is working, we just aren’t looking for Him. We first need to discover where He is at work, then, we must jump in and join Him.