A week or so ago
our son, Andy, and his two children, Jackson and Kendall, came to our home for
a visit and a meal. It has become our
custom to read from a devotional book after supper. In fact, the book we use, “Little Visits With
God,” is a book used by my wife and her family when she was a child. We often read from the same devotional with
our children, until they had all the stories memorized. Jackson chose the devotion for the night, but
I had never heard this one.
Each devotion in
this book begins with a Bible verse, and then follows with a story, with questions,
and finally with a prayer. This specific
devotion used a verse which may be considered “politically incorrect” in today’s
world. The goal of the verse was to
teach the value of work to those reading this day’s lesson. The verse for this day was from 2
Thessalonians 3:10 b “. . . we
gave you this rule: ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat.’" God inspired Paul to write
this instruction to the people of Thessalonika because, anticipating the end of
the world, some in that church had quit their jobs and were waiting for Jesus to
return. These folks were letting the
church provide for them. Paul instructs
the Christians of this church that each person has a responsibility to provide
for themselves, and that able-bodied people shouldn’t depend on others for food
and livelihood. The devotion my grandson
read made this point in a modern day setting children would understand. As I said, even though we had used this devotional
book a lot, I do not remember reading this specific one. And, in today’s world, I was surprised by the
topic!
Actually, God’s plan is that people are not only
productive in their work, but find meaning and joy in the labor they do. Ecclesiastes 3:22 teaches, “So I saw that there is nothing better for
a man than to enjoy his work,
because that is his lot.” In
our labors, we can serve God. In our
work, we can help others as children of God.
That gives meaning, and maybe even joy, to life.
Ultimately,
the Lord provides for the needs of His people.
In The Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught His disciples, “31 So do not
worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we
wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father
knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.”
(Matthew 6:31-33) Our heavenly Father provides!
Yet,
God also inspired Paul to write about the value of work so that people can help
others. An unusual Scripture verse is
found in Ephesians 4:28 “He who has been stealing must
steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that
he may have something to share with those in need.” Imagine
that. Stop stealing, and start sharing!
But that is God’s plan. Work not only
provides for us, but allows us to help others.
That
leads to a conversation I had with my next door neighbor the day after our
family read the devotion based on 2 Thessalonians 3:10. He told me that he owns some rental property,
and has a unique dilemma. Two of his
renters in Anchorage have continued working throughout the recent coronavirus cycle. These tenants have good jobs with the
government. But, the renters were told
by the municipality of Anchorage that, because of the pandemic, they no longer
need to pay rent. So, even while
receiving full salary, they stopped paying him.
The city confirmed to him this situation. How does that fit with God’s instructions
through Paul, "If a man will not work, he
shall not eat."?
Ultimately,
our greatest treasure in life is not material possessions, but our Savior, Jesus. Jesus offers us His love, His forgiveness, and
His salvation. As sinful people, we
cannot earn God’s love. It is a gift. We are told of this undeserved gift of God, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich,
yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become
rich.” (2 Corinthians 8: 9) We work in this life to earn a living, to provide
food and shelter. But our real richness
is found in God’s eternal home, which Jesus won for us by leaving heaven and
coming to earth. Therefore, through Jesus, we receive the unearned riches of
eternal life. In response to God’s grace,
we then seek to serve God in all we do, including through our daily work.
In today’s
changing world, I am not sure what each person believes about the value and
necessity of working to provide for themselves.
As a child of God who has read through Scripture, I have personally come
to believe that God gives work as a gift.
Through our labors we serve God.
Through our labors we serve and help others. But, ultimately God provides what we need for
this life, and for eternal life. In this
context I do want my grandchildren to know and take to heart the words of 2
Thessalonians, "If
a man will not work, he shall not eat."
A Child of God, Believing
that Work is a Necessity, and a Blessing From God,
Pastor Jonathan
P.S.
I have listed some other Bible verses on this topic below.
P.P.S.
Lutheran Hour Rally - The Speaker of the Lutheran Hour, Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, will be coming to Anchorage for a
Lutheran Hour Rally on Thursday, August
26th. The Rally at begins at 6:30 p.m., with a coffee hour at 7:30 pm.
(I am supposed to
take Pastor Ziegler, and LHM Board Members, fishing on Wednesday, August 25.)
P.P.P.S. We may have been picking produce from our
garden, but so have some furry friends.
Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/xjrTFUbHDRTLZvXT8
P.P.P.P.S. I preached on the Kenai Peninsula on Sunday,
August 22, at Funny River Community Lutheran Church. So I was gone Saturday and Sunday. However, I did have some fish activities on
others days.
·
Thursday, August 19, with friend, Fred Duessing. https://photos.app.goo.gl/71HZeR4bVnhTtuUj9
·
Friday, August 20 by myself. https://photos.app.goo.gl/hzCmyzjY2gYdrqxU8
·
Monday, August 23, was a day for smoking last
year’s fish. I smoked 50 pieces of
salmon. J I built this “outhouse / smoker” around oven
racks I bought. https://photos.app.goo.gl/zerRjfWPbtZZA8AY9
+++++++
Some other Bible Verses to consider on
this devotion:
Proverbs 6:6-11 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! 7 It has
no commander, no overseer or ruler, 8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and
gathers its food at harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When
will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little
folding of the hands to rest-- 11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.
Luke 12:19-21 19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty
of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be
merry." ' 20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then
who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' 21 "This is how it will
be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward
God."
John 6: 28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God
requires?" 29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
*****
ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I retired at
the end of August 2019 from serving as senior pastor of St. John Lutheran
Church in Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly devotion previously
entitled, "Thoughts from the Pastor." When I retired
many asked me to continue writing these devotions. So I have continued
writing. However, with life's changes I now call this weekly devotion "Journeys
Through Life as a Child of God." Since I am no longer senior
pastor at St. John, I felt it right to only send this message to those who
asked to receive it. (Though I am now serving again part-time at St. John
as assistant to the pastor.)
So, if you stopped receiving these devotions and wondered why, now you
understand. And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish
to receive them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my
distribution list. My e-mail address is jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these devotions help each of you in your daily walk with our
Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father,
Son, Grandfather
Pastor Emeritus,
St. John Lutheran Church
E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net
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