By Toni Ford
My friends know that I am a person that likes tasks and lists. I have various notebooks where I make multiple lists, and I love marking through my list once my tasks are completed. Lists, for me is a task, an action, something “to do.” While reading the Book of John, I sensed the Lord sending me a gentle reminder about my “to do” lists.
In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, there is a large crowd following Jesus from town to town. The crowd even goes to the extent of getting in boats and going across the lake once they find out Jesus is on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Once they find Him, they ask this question in John 6: 28-36: “What should we do in order to perform the works of God?’ Yeshua answered, ‘Here’s what the work of God is: to trust in the one He sent!’ They asked Him, ‘So, what miraculous sign will you do for us, so that we may see it and trust you? What work will you perform? Our fathers ate manna in the desert.
“As it says in the Tanakh, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Yeshua said to them, ‘Yes, indeed! I tell you it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven. But my Father is giving you the genuine bread from heaven; for God’s bread is the one who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to Him, ‘Sir, give us this bread from now on.’ Yeshua answered, ‘I am the bread which is life! Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever trusts in Me will never be thirsty. I told you that you have seen but still don’t trust.” (Complete Jewish Bible)
When I read the above verses, I felt like I was part of that scene. Drawn to Jesus, the crowd had been following Him from town to town around the Galilee region, listening to Him teach and seeing Him perform miracles. They wanted what Jesus had. Their first question was centered around action, tasks, or “to-do lists.” They asked Jesus, “What should we do in order to perform the works of God?” Notice the emphasis on actions and notice God’s reply: “Yeshua answered, ‘Here’s what the work of God is: to trust in the one He sent!’ Wow!
Interestingly, the crowd still was not satisfied with Jesus’ answer, so they asked Him again to perform a miraculous sign (perform an action) so that they could see it and then trust. I love Yeshua’s response of, “I told you that you have seen but still do not trust.”
The interesting thing about this conversation Jesus is having with the crowd is that He is giving those followers something to do and an action to follow through on, and this one particular action is the very key to receiving all that Jesus has. Trust, as defined by Google, is “a state of being and an action.” “Trust” can be defined as a behavior, not just a matter of feeling but of action. Trusting might not be a word that makes my “to-do list.” Yet it is an action I must take throughout each day as I walk through various situations daily. This one action can make or break my day, for I can either put my trust in the things of this world to “fix” my problems or I can trust in the One who can “fix” my problems far better than I ever dreamed or imagined. Yet, it is up to me, as I must take that action to trust and who I trust in makes all the difference.
So let’s return to the question: “What must we do to do the work of God?” Jesus replied, “Trust.”
God asks us to trust that He loves us, that He is with us this moment, that He rewards those who seek Him, that He will provide in the future as He has in the past, that He is working all things together for our good, that He is directing us and living His life through us, that He continually gives the wisdom we need and that He hears and answers our prayers.
Romans 1:17 says, “But the person who is righteous will live his life by trust.”
Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without trusting, it is impossible to be well pleasing to God, because whoever approaches him must trust that he does exist and that he becomes a Rewarder to those who seek him out.”
Father, trusting is not just a task we check off our list. Rather, it is an action we must choose to do daily and often times several times a day. It is not always easy, so we ask You to give us the strength and awareness to trust You before we turn to the things of this world.
If you would like continued prayer, feel free to email me at tonif77@gmail.com. I would love to pray for you!