"In His defense, Jesus said to them, 'My Father is always at work to this very day and I too am working.'" John 5:17
My husband is a carpenter. He's in the business of making homes beautiful. On rare occasions, our own home reaps the benefits of his talents. When Hubby began the long-overdue task of remodeling our worn-out kitchen, I was anxious and excited for the project to be finished. In the meantime, I had to live with complete and utter chaos in my kitchen.
I came home from work one night, fully expecting to see the new cupboards up on the walls. My expectations were shattered! What had he been doing all night while I was at work?
In my anger and disappointment, I torpedoed a rapid-fire succession of questions mingled with complaints at my poor husband, demanding to know why he was taking so long and insinuating that he wasn't doing anything.
Although hurt by my childish outburst, Hubby graciously explained how he'd been working replacing old plumbing lines and updating the electric behind where the cupboards would go in order to install the ceiling fan (that I had forgotten) I wanted. He'd also cleaned and caulked inside the bottom cabinets to make them look better and help to guard against destructive mice.
My cheeks burned. I'd hastily assumed nothing was being accomplished because I saw no outwardly visible progress when in truth, my husband was working nonstop, accomplishing much more than I had imagined.
How often do we make the very same assumptions about God? Hard seasons of life overwhelm us. We're crippled by anxiety, worry, and stress as our trials appear insurmountable, our circumstances unchanging. Our desperate prayers seem to be bouncing off a thick concrete barrier. We see no visible signs of God working on our behalf.
Yet, God's Word assures us that our Heavenly Father and Jesus are always working on our behalf. In the gospel of John, the Pharisees were outraged that Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, their day of rest. How did Jesus, the Master Carpenter respond? John 5:17 reads, "In His defense, Jesus said, 'My Father is always at work to this very day and I too am working.'"
The reality is, as we're crying out, "Where are you, God?" He's tirelessly working behind the scenes on needs that we may not realize we have. Perhaps He's preparing us for something new or filling in cracks that need filling. Maybe He's readying us for blessings that we've forgotten we wanted or preparing someone to enter our life who will encourage and bless us.
2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us that "we walk by faith, not by sight" and Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Believing our God is never at rest relieves us of worry, anxiety, and stress. Because He is never at rest, we can rest. We can’t see it but He’s there. He’s working.
So dear reader, be anxious for nothing. Rest peacefully in the assurance that beyond what your eyes see, God is always working and accomplishing much more than you can imagine!
