God Will Bless Your Work

God Will Bless Your Work

Yesterday, we started out on a new topic. God’s major ways of providing for us.
We spoke about the creation. God created only once - during the creation week. From then onwards, He hasn’t created anything new because He has already created everything that man needs for his survival, even for the future generations. None of the resources will be exhausted unless it is destroyed. Eg. the fish that live in the sea will multiply; this is according to the principle of the ‘seed’ that keeps on multiplying through crops. Species have been present through thousands of years, although some have been brought to extinction due to man’s ignorance and carelessness. Oxygen has been present in the atmosphere since 6,000 years ago and still is, as well as carbon dioxide, helium etc.  Many more natural resources have yet to be discovered. Sometimes their form or appearance may change, but the matter remains the same.

God makes provision for us through work, business, farming, whatever we do. God provides through work because it is His ordained channel of provision; it is not a curse.  It is wrong to assume that work is a curse because in the book of Genesis ,God tells Adam that he shall work by the sweat of his brow.  Ever since, some consider work to be a curse.

Soon after God created the Garden of Eden, He appointed Adam in the garden to work as caretaker, manager, gardener, supervisor.  The First Employer was God.  In the evening God would walk with Adam to take a report from him about his day and work. Deuteronomy 8:18 ….it is God who gives you the talent for productivity.  Work is not man’s idea, it is God’s idea.  

Genesis 2:15..God put Adam in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Therefore, work is not a punishment, but a partnership with God’s creative process.  So those who work with vigour, responsibility, pride, earnestness will be blessed.  King Solomon said - “Whatever you do under the sun, do it with all your might.” not with disdain or discontent….whether it be sweeping the floor, painting, building construction, road works, bridge works, carpentry or even software coding….. Do it with all vigour.

Work is a gift and a channel.  Through it blessings will flow.  Work  is not the opposite of grace. A misguided teaching is that Christ has completed everything on Calvary and we need not do any work. This is foolishness; if we do not earn a living, our family will starve. On the cross of Calvary Christ has done what no man could do, the rest is for us to do.  Work is a channel through which grace flows.  God does not bless idleness, He blesses diligence.  When God blesses a man with talent or skill or creativity, He is providing a channel for provision.

Proverbs 14:23 -  all hard work brings profit, but ….. Even the most ordinary job becomes holy when you recognise it as a divine assignment for provision.

Diligence attracts divine favour.  Proverbs 10:4  Those with wealth in the world today have been diligent and smart workers, not lazy or tardy.  Diligence is doing ordinary things with extraordinary faithfulness.  It is not speed or busyness, but consistent excellence under God’s hands.  

Proverbs 22:29. Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank
 Eg. Nehemiah, Daniel and his companions. It is their God given skill that took them to the palaces of kings. Ecclesiastes 9:10.
 
Let us take a look at Joseph from the Bible.  There was a time when he was put in prison, worked as a slave, a period spent in the house of Potiphar.
Genesis 39:2 - The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered. He lived in the house of his Egyptian master and was put in charge of all that he owned. Later Joseph was wrongfully accused and put in prison. But there too, Joseph did not forget his God.  He could have cursed his master,  the people around him, or even his circumstances.  But even during his imprisonment, Joseph worked diligently, interpreting dreams and managing tasks faithfully.  God lifted him to a position of governing all of Egypt. His promotion was not luck, but diligence under divine guidance.  When he aligned himself to the Spirit and purpose of God and worked with diligence, Joseph was rewarded with promotion.

God blesses what you do, not what you neglect. In the past maybe you have not been appreciated for all the hard work put in, but I prophesy that your reward is coming soon.  God does not reward your tardiness or your neglect of duties, but the hard work of your hands.  Hallelujah! Another noteworthy example is Ruth the Moabitess (not even a Jew).  While in the field of Boaz she did not wait for a miraculous provision, but went to the  fields to glean the grains the harvesters had left behind. She had followed her mother-in-law from Moab to Bethlehem under very sad circumstances in her life.  Her husband and his brother passed away, as well as  her father-in-law. She may not have got the work of her choice, but she chose not to sit still, but work at what was available.

I speak to my young brothers and sisters….do not sit idle.  Many youngsters have come to me saying that it’s been four years since the completion of their B. Tech course, but have failed to get a job.  I have asked them, “What have you been doing these four years?” Their reply was that they remained at home sending applications to many companies. I  earnestly advise you all not to settle into this pattern.  Do not sit idle; find something to do in the meantime.  Visit local slum areas, do some charity work, cultivate vegetables, do something that would profit the society. God will be pleased with your diligence and will reward you by sending new opportunities your way.  Many youngsters wait at home for the right opportunity to come their way even if it takes years. This brings grief to their parents, siblings and even to their church community.

When people speak of unemployment, I am astonished! I have never sat idle in my life.  Even amidst problems I continue to work. Nobody needs to assign me any work; I assign work to myself. This brings in God’s favour.  Let’s get back to Ruth.  It was noticed that she had been working in the field from morning till sunset.  Since she had not been appointed to work the fields she was not eligible for due wages. But even then she went to the field to collect the fallen grains, resting only for a short while. Her work ethic was observed and this opened the door to redemption and generational blessing.  Her generations were blessed through her.

Hard work done in divine humility can lead to divine connections and covenant restorations.  Any work done in humility can bring in new connections and open the door for a restoration of your covenant relationship.  Now let’s consider the prophet Nehemiah - he was working as a high level officer in the palace of a king in a foreign land.  He happened to learn that for 120 years the broken wall of Jerusalem had not been repaired.  Neither priest or laity had bothered to build or repair the breach.  But Nehemiah fasted and prayed for four months and then went ahead to prepare plans and projects for the rebuilding of the wall.  He went on to coordinate the work and within a period of 52 weeks, the wall was repaired.  120 years of tardiness was set right by a mere 52 weeks or coordinated hard labour.

Prayer invites favour, but diligence completes the task.  It is enthusiasm and diligence that helps us finish the project.  Proverbs 31:13, 17.  God’s favour rests on those who turn ability into activity; this brings the favour of God. Mark 3:6 - Jesus is referred to as the carpenter.  He probably had been at this post for 18 years or more.  Jesus could easily have brought forth provisions by the word of His mouth.  But he did not do that; on the contrary, did work as a regular human being.  

God has given each one of us talents… to be a doctor, nurse, engineer, mason, etc., we are to put this to good use.   Do not be lazy, but be a hard worker. The apostle Paul  worked to earn a living along with his ministry and helped many others.  God has already kept in store many provisions and it is when we work in partnership with Him that these become a blessing for us and to be a blessing to others.