“Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.””
I am in Greenbelt, Maryland, enjoying three days with a Ph.D. cohort at Capital Seminary & Graduate School. I am team-teaching with a friend and ministry colleague. Day one has been a blast. Engaged students and lively discussion . . . so much to share and so little time to do it. The day has passed quickly.
I went out for a walk after class this afternoon. Late night travel coupled with final class preparations erased my usual morning routine. That's okay. The late afternoon was splendid. Sunshine greeted me along with temperature in the 60's.
I set off for a four-mile walk with no particular course in mind. All the roads were new. I detoured off the main highway at my first opportunity. I took a back road that led to a little path that led to a lake.
Remember, I am a man on a mission. Four miles! I continued to walk around the lake, enjoying the sights and the weather and the beauty of approaching Spring. When my walking app told me I passed the two-mile mark, I made a u-turn and headed back the way I came. It was then that I saw the tree.
I didn't have to see the beaver to know that he had been at work. The evidence was obvious.
As I reflected on that scene I was reminded of Jesus words, "My Father is always working." As with the beaver, I may not "see Him," but the signs of his activity are obvious: a freshly painted sunset, breath in my lungs, creation in concert, the unity of his people, the life-changing power of the gospel.
This is good news. God's presence means his mercies are still new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), he still clothes us as he does the lilies of the field (Matthew 6:28-30), he still keeps us safe at night (Psalm 4:8), and he still establishes our steps during the day (Proverbs 16:9).
The Father is always working . . . so walk with him, talk with him, delight in him, obey him, rest in him.