August 3, 2009 Powerless On My Own
Today’s Bible Reading: Nahum 1, 2, 3; John 5
Scripture Focus:
John 5:19–20 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
John 5: 30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
Observation:
Jesus is God. In John 10:30 he said, “I and my father are one.” The leaders of the day understood exactly what he was saying and wanted to kill him because he equated himself with God.
Yet in John 5 he said, “I can of Myself do nothing.” And “I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
If Jesus was totally depended upon God, how much more should I depend upon God?
Application:
The trick for me is knowing for certain what God wants. In some cases it’s pretty clear. In other cases, I’m not sure. Jesus says he looks to see what the Father is doing and follows suit. Oh, for eyes that could see what the Father is doing, so I could join him!
The ultimate question, though, is this: If I could see, would I follow? I hope the answer is yes. Jesus said, “I do not seek my own will but the will of the Father who sent me.” If I truly am seeking God’s will over my own, God will invite me to be part of his work in the world.
Prayer:
Father God, what are you at work doing around me today? May I join you in moving your work forward?
