June 5

“The test Christ gave by which the reality of His oneness with the Father was to be known, was that He did the work of the Father; and I know no other test for us now.”  Hannah Whitall Smith, God is Enough, 6/5

“Take time to look past your actions to what lies behind them.  Ask God to show you what He sees when He examines your motives.”  H. Blackaby, Experiencing God Day-by-Day, 6/5

I see these two quotes as going hand-in-hand because, outwardly, we could appear to be doing the work of the Father.  It’s too easy to become “religious”--to be “faithful” in our service to God’s cause--in our own strength.  The real test comes when things don’t go the way we thought they should.  At least, this is my test.  I’ll seemingly start out working for the Lord and only find out later I was working for myself.  I find this out when I suffer disappointment, anger, frustration, hopelessness.  So when Hannah reminds us that Christ did the work of the Father she was referring to His completed work--work He’d seen to the end according to God’s plan.  Too often I do not finish well because my hidden motive of serving self has been the driving force.  I am learning now that in order for my motive to be pure and for my work to be of the Father, I must let my only desire be the desire to do God’s Will.  He will do the rest.

“I delight to do thy will, O my God; thy law is within my heart.”  Psalm 40:8