John 5:19-20 Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.”

Several things speak to me from this. The first is, if you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. Jesus said that even more explicitly to his closest disciples in the Upper Room, when they asked Him to show them the Father. (John 14:8-9) God knew full well that without such a concrete example, humanity would get caught in a philosophical swamp and never get out. Indeed, human philosophy apart from Christ has exactly that effect even today. It’s not that philosophy itself is bad, it’s that without Christ it has no bedrock, nothing really to stand on, because it defines things by mankind, and any truly objective analysis will show the foolishness of that. The second thing I get from this passage is that Jesus did what He did because He was watching the Father all the time. Our behavior is very different when we are watching God than when we are not! There is no substitute for having the eyes of our hearts turned to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 12:2) The third thing I get is that because of His love for Jesus, the Father showed Him what He was doing so He could participate. This is striking, because Jesus tells us that the Father loves us in essentially the same way. (John 16:27) We cannot know all that God is doing because He is infinite and we are not, but He will show us as much as we need to see in order to participate in it. It is part of the mystery of faith that the Creator of the universe allows us to take part in what He is doing, and not just be pawns on a chess board. That’s why prayer is both amazing and vital, because it is an integral part of our participation with God in His work in the world.

I feel like I am being lifted higher and higher, and my problem is in how to bring the flock along with me. As God shows me these things, the big question is how I am going to follow through in obedience. Last night I was shown that I am to speak on prayer this Sun­day, and now I know much better why. That’s why He didn’t let me complete the notes last night! This is extremely big and extremely important, and I know I have no wisdom or vocabulary to communicate it properly on my own, so I’ve got to operate in humble obedience, both in completing my notes and especially in delivering the message. I need to let Him show me how much to share, and how, so that His Spirit may work it into my hearers just as He is working it into me.

Father, thank You for Your truly amazing grace! Thank You for loving us enough to show us what You are doing, in order to let us participate. I ask You to improve my spiritual eyesight and hearing so that I won’t miss any of what You show me, but be a useful co-laborer with You, for Your glory. (2 Corinthians 6:1) Thank You. Hallelujah!