Genesis 2:15
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
INSIGHT
-Labor in Hebrew is written as amal means which means to work. It also means to discover & become what you were created to be through self manifestation.
-Work originated right from creation where God created the heavens, earth & all the host of them in 6 days & rested on the seventh. God also gave us this commandment; that we labor for six days & on the seventh we rest for it is a Sabbath to Him (Ex 20:9-10). God placed man in the garden of Eden to work & take care of it; given provision of water from the river which split into four river-heads yet it had not rained. God provides a way for us to prosper in our labor as we continue to seek Him.
PRAYER
Abba Father we thank You for You have enabled us to start a new week in good health. Be with our children as they go back to school, give all teachers wisdom to train them with patience & all parents to be able to provide what is required for their sustenance. You have called us to work Father, give us the strength, wisdom & opportunities for progress in all our labor. We have faith that You have already answered all our prayer Lord; as we earnestly await their manifestation. You have done marvelous works in our lives Father; we thank You. All glory & praise belongs to You Lord. Amen
Ecclesiastes 5:18-19
“Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.”
INSIGHT
-Labor day is an international public holiday where workers celebrate their achievements & air their grievances through their respective unions.
-King Solomon in the above scripture writes that; it is one’s heritage & a gift from God for one to become rich, to eat; drink & enjoy the fruit of his/her labor. This gives us the analogy that not everyone who labors becomes rich & not everyone who becomes rich enjoys his/her labor but only through Gods’ mercy & blessings. Further, work itself & the ability to work is a gift from God. We have also been called to work with all our heart in whatever we do for by this we are serving the Lord Christ & not human masters for we will receive the reward of the inheritance (Col 3:23-24). The word heritage means an inheritance passed down from a previous generation. Through sacrifice in our work; where we offer the best possible effort & intellect which causes a positive impact, God will most definitely reward us according to His merciful love.
PRAYER
Thank You Father for it is yet another year we are celebrating Labor Day. You have done so much for us that we cannot tell it all, we thank You. Many people are suffering at their work places & businesses both locally & abroad, have mercy on them Lord & grant them better opportunities. Many others are unemployed Father, direct them according to Your will. Help & guide us all Father in whatever we set our hands & minds to do that we may dedicate our best effort; as if we are working for You Father. Have mercy on us Lord that we may not labor in vain but bear much fruit according to Your heritage Father. Bless us indeed Oh Lord & expand our territories. Direct us by Your hand & protect us from anything or anyone that may cause us pain. Help us Lord to enjoy that which You have given us for the glory of Your name. Amen
Proverbs 12:11
“Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.”
INSIGHT
-It is often said that hard work is the way to success in business forums but we rarely talk about this in church & religious conversations. It is clear from the above scripture that work brings forth abundant food & chasing after fantasies causes lack. Gambling has been sighted as an emerging trend; where both the young & the old gamble in the hope of winning the lottery through sending some money for a price, which is an example of a fantasy activity. Such activities erode the work & saving culture; & divert people’s attention; lest they make proper use of time, resources & skills. This gives the majority false hope; & in the process loose their little they have for the general rule in gambling is, “the money goes back to the house”. Apostle Paul speaks to the Thessalonians saying that they laboured day & night (given that Paul was a tent maker (Acts 18:3)), so that they may not be a burden to them. He also proposed that those who do not work should not eat & encourages them to work in quietness eating their own bread; condemning busybodies (2 Thes 3:8-12).
PRAYER
We thank You dear Lord for the gift of life & the strength You have given us to be able to work. We are sorry Father for the many times we not been productive & have wasted valuable time chasing fantasies, forgive us Lord. We humbly ask You to direct us in our work that we may better apply our gifts, talents, skills, knowledge & wisdom passionately that we may achieve sustainable fruits for the benefit of many. Bless our nation & all citizens Father, that we may get used to the culture of hard work for our good & the good of the generations to come. You are the Alpha & Omega, the Beginning & the End, the First & the Last, all glory & praise belongs to You. Amen
Ephesians 4:28
”Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”
INSIGHT
-Apostle Paul condemns stealing in the society; probably basing his conversation from the commandment, “thou shall not steal”. Stealing can be in form of corruption, perverting justice by giving or taking bribes, depriving the poor justice in court, failing to pay workers, taking other people’s property, robbery with or without violence, fraud & forgery for self gain, cyber crime, failing to pay tithe or taxes, extortion, moving boundary walls or encroaching others fields etc. We know that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tim 6:10). We are therefore reminded to exercise integrity & toil with patience for the benefit of self & those who need us most, however big the temptation of stealing is.
PRAYER
Abba Father our King & Saviour; our lives belong to You, do what You wish in us. Thank You Lord for we have seen this new day in good health, direct us Lord in all our endeavors. Forgive us all our sins Father, those we have committed knowingly & unknowingly. Deliver us from all evil Father & fill us with Your love & patience, that we may labor with perseverance seeking to hurt no one. Give us Lord; the heart of generosity & train our hands to give. Guide our steps in all things that we may emerge victorious in all our undertaking. We pray this believing & trusting in Jesus mighty name. Amen
Matthew 11:28
”Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
INSIGHT
-Jesus calls us to depend on Him all the time; essentially because life is generally full of ups & downs. He gives us comfort & strength to push on however rough the road becomes. Christ calls us to approach His throne of mercy with confidence that we may receive His salvation & grace.
SUMMARY
-Labor in Hebrew is written as amal which means to work or discover & become what you were created to be through self manifestation.
-Work originated right from creation when God created the heavens, earth & all the host of them in 6 days & rested on the seventh. The same command was passed to us; that we also labor for 6 days & rest on the seventh; the Sabbath day (Ex 20:9-10). God then placed man in the garden of Eden to work & take care of it (Gen 2:15). He provided water from a river which split into four river-heads yet it had not rained, giving us an indication that God makes a way for us to prosper in our labor as we continue to seek Him. In the modern society unfortunately, laziness has become the norm where both the old & the young chase fantasies day & night. They gamble the little resources that they have in the hope of becoming rich yet end up wasting time, resources & their gifts without notice. These kinds of addictions even drive some to evil vice like stealing with the same hope of making it in life. King Solomon writes that, those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense (Pro 12:11). This is an emphasis that people should work & stop chasing after vain things; to receive that which they desire most. Apostle Paul also echoes the same sentiments when he writes that; those who steal should stop & labor to ensure they have resources for themselves & others who rely on them (Eph 4:28). This might be rooted from the commandment, “thou shall not steal” which can be in form of: – corruption, perverting justice by giving or taking bribes, depriving the poor justice in court, failing to pay workers, taking other people’s property, robbery with or without violence, cyber crime, fraud & forgery for self gain, failing to pay tithe or taxes, extortion, moving boundary walls or encroaching others fields etc. Apostle Paul tells the Thessalonians that; he & his team worked day & night; given that he was a tent maker, so that they may not become a burden to them in their visit. He also proposed that those who do not work should not eat & encouraged them to work in quietness eating their own bread; & condemned busybodies (2 Thes 3:8-12). We are therefore reminded to exercise integrity & toil with patience for the benefit of self & those who need us most, however big the temptation to steal becomes. In Ecc 5:18-19; we are told that it is good, ones heritage & a gift from God for us to become rich, to eat; drink & enjoy the fruit of our labor. To note; not everyone has the ability to work maybe due to sickness, not everyone who labors becomes rich & not everyone who becomes rich enjoys his/her labor but it is only through Gods’ mercy & blessings. We are therefore called to work with all our heart in whatever we do for by this we serve Christ & not human masters for the promise of receiving a reward of the inheritance (Col 3:23-24). This inheritance is the heritage which is passed down from one generation to the next; for a good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children (Prov 13:22). Through sacrifice in our work; where we offer the best possible effort & intellect which causes a positive impact in the society, we utilize our skills & gifts; & God will most definitely reward us according to His merciful love.
PRAYER
Almighty Father we bless You & exult Your mighty name. We humbly ask You to help all those who are jobless or unproductive in our nation; that they may be able to work for their own good & that of generations to come. Many are lost in gambling & others are stealing, deliver them Lord from such addictions & transform them to become responsible citizens. Forgive us all our sins Lord, those we have committed either knowingly or unknowingly & remember them no more Father full of mercy. We cast all our burdens & heavy loads unto You Lord; that we may find peace in all things. Bless the work of our hands Father & have mercy on us; that we may not labor in vain. Give us strength to eat, enjoy all that You have given us & give us long lives full of peace. All glory, honor, strength, riches & blessings belongs to You Lord, forever & ever. Amen