Dec 08 2024

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

In this Proverb, we get a profound reflection on how we should approach our work. We should be diligent and do our work unto the Lord. This verse reminds us that diligence in our work is evidence of holiness in our lives because it shows that we do everything unto the Lord.

It can be easy to disconnect our work from our spiritual lives, especially if we don't like our jobs. In this verse, however, the Lord tells us that we should be careful to do a good job in everything we do. There is no separation of work unto the Lord and work that pays our bills and buys our groceries—all of it belongs to the Lord and brings honor to Him.

This Proverb also suggests that if we are diligent in our work, we will be elevated beyond our current station. This means other people will recognize something peculiar about the way that we work and good will come of that. I don't think this is necessarily a recipe for a promotion, but rather, it reflects the belief that if we do work unto the Lord, we will have opportunities to continue doing it. He will honor our efforts to honor Him.

In other words, even when we are weary with our jobs or tired of our bosses or really desperate for a vacation, we can pray for the Lord to help us live out this Proverbs verse. We can ask Him to help us be diligent in our work even when it seems impossible—and we know that He will answer us because this prayer will be in accordance with His Word.

Dear Lord, I want to honor you with my work. Sometimes that seems completely impossible! But I know that this verse in Proverbs has called us to be diligent in our work and that you will honor our efforts. Help me to honor you by working well and unto you; help me to rest knowing that you see the invisible things I do. In Jesus' name, amen.

Dec 07 2024

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. :

Just before today's verse, Jesus said that in the future, the Son of Man (Jesus) will separate people. On the right will be those who gave Him something to eat, clothed Him, or gave Him a place to sleep. On the left will be those who did not. Both groups will ask the same question: "When did we ever see you hungry or in need of clothes?" Jesus' reply tells us that when we do these things for the least of us, we have done them unto Him. This verse has a plethora of modern-day applications.

The first is that we should be on the lookout for ways to bless and help other people, especially those who have nothing to offer us. As Christians, we are already full—we have Christ living within us! This means we should be careful not to neglect those whom the Lord has placed in our lives to minister to. We should be watchful for opportunities to help other people. We should be willing to compromise our plans and welcome inconveniences as moments to share the love of the Lord with someone else.

The second way this verse applies to our lives today is how we know that God sees everything we do. We can trust that God sees what is invisible to everyone else. He sees when you give more than you can afford because He prompted you. He sees when you are late for work because He told you to minister to someone on your commute. He sees every single sacrifice that you made for Him, and He will honor it in the end. Even if you feel like you made a fool of yourself, He will honor your obedience.

The third application to modern life is that until you ask for forgiveness, God will remember your disobedience. If we do not feed the hungry or obey His prompting, we have sinned. This is never okay, nor should it be dismissed as normal. Instead, it's a call to examine our own hearts and repent of the times when we haven't followed God's commandments for whatever reason. We do not have to live in condemnation because Jesus has washed us clean of our sin. But it would serve us well to remember how we felt after becoming aware of our sins—and then seek to change our behavior so we can live in harmony with the life that the Lord has for each of us.

Dear Lord, I thank you for knowing all that we have done. I thank you that you remember every sacrifice I've made in your name and that you will honor it. I thank you for being so good to me. Help me to remember your goodness the next time you prompt me to do something uncomfortable. You are always faithful, Lord; help me to be faithful in return by serving the least of these. In Jesus' name, amen.