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Scripture for the day: John 6:28-31 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Thought for the day: Yesterday we talked a bit about the bottom line of our faith. The work we’ve been given, the only work, is to believe in the Messiah. We try to make more of our situation, but truly there just isn’t anything more to it. Look at the people once again and you’ll see what I mean.
 They’ve approached Jesus and when He told them their place was to believe in Him, the first thing they did was to demand He provide some sign so they would know He was the One the Father had sent. Wait! What? These were the same people who had just been fed on the hillside; 5,000 men, plus women and children. They had seen the disciples leave and Jesus walk off to the nearby mountain to pray. The next day they realized that Jesus had miraculously arrived in Capernaum and ran to find Him. And what did they do when they arrived? They asked Him to perform some miracle so that they could believe in Him. 
 We look at these people today and wonder how they could be so foolish. How many signs would be enough? Hadn’t He already provided all the proof necessary? What more could He do? Is it any wonder He refused their request? Yes, we look on these hard headed people and wonder how they could ask such a thing, all the while doing the same in our own lives. He has performed so many miracles in our lives, starting with the amazing achievement of bringing us into the family of God. He saved my soul and awakened my spirit to the need for His forgiveness. Through His blood, He opened the gates of heaven and ushered this poor soul into glory. He has kept me and fed me time after time, providing everything I have ever needed to remain a part of Him. 
 Now He tells me the only thing He wants in return is that I believe in Him, that I believe He is able to do more than I could ever imagine, that I believe His Spirit is with me every step of the path I must follow each day – and that I act accordingly. Suddenly some adverse situation arises and, instead of exercising anew the belief I have in Him, I say, “What sign will you show me that I may believe in You?”
 Listen, if I love my wife and believe in the value of marriage and family, that belief will show itself in the way I treat my wife, my children, and anyone else in the family. If I say that I believe in the founding principles of my country, that belief will be evident by the way I live in society and interact with others in my community. What was it James said? “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18). 
 The best I can do is to emulate the man whose son had a demon too tough for the disciples to cast out. He fell at the feet of Jesus and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” And that’s a prayer that never goes unanswered. 
Now go take on your world.  -  Bill