Cornerstone Devotional | Spring 2021

Something to Believe

“This is the work of God...” —John 6:29 (Read John 6)

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We live in a world that values productivity, perhaps above all else. This mindset seeps into the culture of the church as well, as the American prosperity gospel tells us that health and wealth reflect salvation. We often feel a need to fill our days with work, to be productive, to do something.
 
But doing something isn’t always to what God calls us.

I only have a few months left in the CCO Fellowship Program, and I’ve been worrying about what’s next for me. I asked the Lord what I needed to do before He would reveal my next steps, and He drew me to John 6. This passage convicted my heart.
 
For some context, Jesus just performed the miracle of feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Those who had witnessed this miracle wanted more, so they followed Jesus. This was their interaction:
 
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” —John 6:25-28
 
The people following Jesus wanted to know what they needed to do to get what they wanted, just like me. Jesus answered them, as He always does:
 
“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” —John 6:29

This is the work of God? To believe? I realized after reading this passage that I wanted to control my situation and future, and I didn’t believe that God would give me the answer in time. When I came across this passage, I knew that God isn’t calling me to do, but to believe that He cares about my future. He will provide me with what I truly need—even if this looks different than I anticipate.
 
Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord reveals this truth to His people:
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“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
—Isaiah 30:15 (Read Isaiah 30)
 
Your salvation, your defense and your deliverance is in returning to your God and resting and trusting in Him.
 
Jesus promises in John 16:33 that we will have trouble, but He also reminds us that faith in the work He has already done is the work to which we are called. So, whether you’re facing a big future decision or imminent problems, remember that sometimes the only “work” you are called to is rest and confidence in the God who desires to care for you.

—Essence Suggs is a CCO Fellow ministering to University students at Bellefield Presbyterian Church.