John Chapter 6: Verses 28-29 (NIV-UK)
Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’
Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’
1 Samuel Chapter 15: Verse 22 (NIV-UK)
But Samuel replied:
‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
Jesus had been talking to the crowd about working for the food that brings eternal life, but the people didn’t properly grasp what He was talking about. They asked Him what they needed to do to do the work that God required. But we ourselves can do nothing except believe in Jesus. If we do, then we will be obedient to the things that God tells us to do. That’s not complicated, is it?
We can be guilty of wondering what we need to do for God, when in fact He doesn’t need us to do anything, because He’s God. However, if we believe in Jesus and accept what He has done for us, we will do the work that God asks us to do by being obedient. God never makes things difficult for us, we make things difficult for ourselves. Look what it cost Saul who thought that by doing what he felt God would want, he would please God. How wrong he was! Let’s not make the same mistake!
Dear Lord,
Help me to believe and trust instead of trying too hard to please you by doing things. Help me to remember the lesson from Saul’s life. I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.