“Israel saw the great work that the LORD did.” Our scriptures are full of one story after another where witnesses recognized the hand of God at work in the world and in their own lives. Prophets, priests, kings, apostles, each in their own time, told of their experiences of the merciful presence of God touching their hearts in unique ways to draw them into relationship with the Divine.

People throughout the ages have been awed by the great work of God in their particular lives and cultures, though they may have used different names for the holy Source of all. God didn’t begin the great work of love with the forebears of the biblical patriarchs, not did God end the great work with John on Patmos. God continues the great work in your life and mine and throughout the cosmos in the here and now.

God’s great work is intended to make us whole and holy, to transform us into the imago dei that God created us to be, to open our minds and hearts to all that God has prepared for us. Sometimes God’s great work is as stunning as the Israelites crossing the Red Sea/Sea of Reeds described in our lesson from the Hebrew scriptures today, or the apostle Paul’s dramatic conversion experience on the road to Damascus (Acts 26:12-18), or the resurrection of Christ Jesus. Often, however, the great work is accomplished in more subtle ways such as Elijah experienced in “the still, small voice,” “the sound of sheer silence” (I Kgs.19:12) of God’s presence. One day at a time, one step at a time, as we are open to accept the work God is accomplishing in our lives, the results of the great work become apparent. We know that we are not the mess we used to be. We are on the way, inspired by the Holy Spirit, until we are at rest in the bosom of God, surrounded and upheld by God’s love.