Title: Work
Scripture Reading; Psalms 90:3-4, 10
Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
We can work without wilting: being floppy, wilted, lifeless.
Psalms 90:16-17, ‘Let Your work appears to Your servants. And Your majesty to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands.’
Psalms 90:16 focuses on YHWH’s works
Psalms 90:17 on the faithful followers’ works.
If the Christian faith is not relevant in the workplace, Christianity is not relevant at all.
Work is an important park of God’s economy. It is part of what you were created to do, and will be a part of what you do in heaven.
- Your work has lasting value
Proverbs 14:23 says, ‘All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
Colossians 3:23-24 says, ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.’
Actually, our work will bring us not only earthly reward but eternal reward.
Work has an intrinsic value. Inherent, basic, fundamental, and central value. We are told in Psalms 90:16-17 that God works and so too we should work.
2 Thessalonians 3:10 with this: ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you: that if any would not work, neither should he eat.’
God’s plan is to provide for our needs through our work.
There should be no guilt when you work. To help you in your living when you work has been part of God’s plan.
What are you doing now that will outlive you?
Psalms 90:10 says,‘ The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.’
This is all about the brevity of life. However, even though your life is short and fleeting, according to this psalm, it is possible for your work to outlive you. What you do can have a lasting value.
- Your work brings housing and food to your spouse and children who needed them.
- Your tithing and giving to the house of God is through the sweat of your brows and they are a sweet-smelling savor to the nostril of God
- Your career can have an impact on others to cause them to come to God.
- Your work has link to your work responsibility one day in heaven.
Psalms 90:17 ends with a note of hope with regard to work: it says, ‘May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands.’
In another translation it says, ‘Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands.’You will notice the repetition of the phrase, ‘establish (confirm) the work of our hand.’ Probably because of the urgency of need and also the difficulty of work.
In some translation, ‘May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us’, is interpreted as ‘let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us.’ The favor of God in our work displays the beauty of God.
Psalms 90:17 is actually a prayer of Moses. Earlier in this Psalms, Moses spoke of God’s people being consumed and terrified by their work.
We should ask for God’s favor in our work. And when the favor comes, it becomes a place of beauty. God’s deliverance, even in your workplace, allows you to prosper. The favor/beauty of the LORD is his favorable countenance, and gracious influence, and glorious presence. The faithful, instead of giving up hope in the workplace, should beseech God to let his beauty, his splendor, the light of his countenance, his grace and favor be upon them.
- Give yourself fully to God’s work
Romans 16:1-3, ‘I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succorer of many, and of myself also. Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus.’
What is the value of Paul’s intentional and extensive greetings? Leon Morris explains that this chapter 16 of Romans demonstrate that the letter to the Romans was a letter to real people and, as far as we can see, ordinary people; it was not written to professional theologians.
And the names were not little but many.
They were mentioned because they are valued individuals, and not a commodity.
They are recognized because Paul placed great emphasis on the value of their work.
Ten of the people named in the list are women:
Phoebe in Rom. 16:1
Prisca in Rom. 16:3
Mary in Rom. 16:6
Junia in Rom. 16:7
Tryphaena and Tryphosa in Rom. 16:12
Persis in Rom. 16:12
“his mother” in Rom. 16:13
Julia in Rom. 16:15
“his sister” in Rom. 16:15
Their duties involved:
- caring for the sick
- caring for those physically persecuted
- visiting those in the faith
- teaching new believers
- assisting in baptism
- overseeing of church members
They are all called saints. The term ‘saints’ means ‘holy ones.’ It describes not only a believer’s position in Jesus but also their godly lives, progressively characterizing their new holy position in Christ. The term ‘saints’ is always in the plural. It is a corporate sense. To be Christians is to be part of a believing community, a family, a body. The clear distinctive feature of this group is that they gave themselves fully to God’s work.
1 Corinthians 15:58 says, ‘Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.’
- Imitate God in work and rest
The book of Genesis tells us that God works for 6 days and he rested on the 7th day.
As Ken Costa often says, ‘Work was in the original God-breathed prospectus.’ Physical labor was not a consequence of sin, but a part of Adam’s God given task.
Life is a journey, not a destination.
Smell the roses, go and work with joy. Because you are supporting your family. Happiness is found not in wisdom, pleasure, or possessions, but in the simple pleasures of daily life which is home, family and work.
There will be no activities or work in hell.
We get discouraged easily by our work which did not bring in the result we want. Our boss doesn’t treat us well and we are often uncompensated. I remember I was very young in the work in the Philippines that at one time, I felt I was drunk in my work, as a result of continuous work. Maybe you can understand what I am saying. We feel even in the church we are not appreciated properly. But then Jesus set the example before us. He said to you and to me, ‘I must be about my father’s work.’ This is not just secular or spiritual work. This is work. God sees both work as important. Was Jesus appreciated? No. It seemed like all had forsaken him. He even said to his 12 disciples, ‘are you also going to forsake me like the rest?’ But his focus was God. He pined his faith and hope in God in all his earthly works. Seemingly like a failure in work, he went to the cross and was crucified. It seemed that all was useless like many of us felt with our work, not only in the secular but also in the spiritual work in the church. But when Jesus was resurrected, he conquered the defeat of work. And he said, ‘Go ye all into the world and preached the Gospel (work). And lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world. We are not alone in our work. Jesus had defeated all the negative aspect of work and the only thing that can happened to our work is success, victory and fruitfulness. Just cooperate with God and see how he will prove the scripture to be true. Work, that seem meaningless, can have lasting value, satisfaction, gladness and success even in the brevity of life. And when the favor comes, which will come become Christ has already made possible the favor when he died at the cross, work will become a place of beauty. God’s deliverance, even in your workplace, will allow you to prosper. The favor/beauty of the LORD is his favorable countenance, and gracious influence, and glorious presence will be effected in your life in the workplace and in the church work.
