Following God is good for you

 Psalm 128:1–6 (ESV):  

1  Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, 

who walks in his ways! 

 2  You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands; 

you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. 

 3  Your wife will be like a fruitful vine 

within your house; 

  your children will be like olive shoots 

around your table. 

 4  Behold, thus shall the man be blessed 

who fears the Lord. 

 5  The Lord bless you from Zion! 

May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem 

all the days of your life! 

 6  May you see your children’s children! 

Peace be upon Israel! 

Following God is good for you. It naturally carries a blessing, just like an obedient child experiences the favour of their parents. Not that the child is preferred, but their good behaviour and character are appreciated, and so they know favour and blessing from their parents, rather than correction and discipline. The same goes for you in your relationship with God. If you walk in His ways and live in awe of Him, then you will be blessed.

Fearing God means living under His authority and being in reverence of Him. Doing so affects all parts of your life; work, marriage, relationships, values, goals, and the influence you have on future generations. Your relationships are affected because you are someone who fears God. This psalm tells how your wife will be ‘fruitful’ meaning that she will develop, grow and invest in others. Your children are like ‘olive shoots’ - they require tender care, but they have the potential to become strong, robust olive trees. This psalm just mentions two of the types of relationships you can have, and as you can see, there is a promise of blessing, growth and fruitfulness when you put God first. Following God is good for you, for those you live with, care about and invest in. 

‘You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands, you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you’. What a great assurance! As someone who lives God’s way, God gives you work to do, and it will go well. This does not promise that it will be easy, the word ‘labour’ implies putting in effort! Yet you can be assured that through your work, you will be provided for and 'it shall be well with you'. God has things for you to do, you have the privilege of working, whether for money or not. It could be home-based, voluntary, in the community, in business or industry, it doesn’t matter. God has provided work for you to do, have you ever considered that the opportunity to work is a gift from God? God has given you the chance to, 'eat the fruit of the labour of your hands'. He has created you to be useful, productive and provide for yourself. Following God in the way you work is good for you, because it leads to your provision, but it will also be good for those you work with and the organisation. For, if your workload is blessed, other people benefit, profits are made and good reputation is built. 

Yet, above all of this, the first thing that this psalm states is, ‘blessed is everyone who fears the Lord’. Regardless of your family situation or work situation, if you are someone who lives life following God, you are blessed! It doesn't always feel like it, but you have to remember that God is not looking at the immediate. Following God is good for you, now and long-term. You have the blessing of the freedom from sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and an eternal hope. As well as the internal security, peace, comfort and strength that comes from following God's ways. Obedience to God carries a blessing now and forever. Are you aware of the blessings in your life now, and for eternity?

Although following God is good for you, it is not easy, otherwise everyone would do it. You have to persevere, be willing to change and do the things you don't want to, plus you have to patiently wait for the blessing sometimes. Just like a child waiting for their birthday. The blessing will come, but you need to wait, and keep trusting that God will give you good things. He will bless you in your work, in your family, and through the generations. Keep following, trusting and believing in Him and His Word and wait for ‘blessed is everyone who fears the Lord’. How do you see that God has blessed you today?

Is God your co-worker?

 Psalm 127:1–5 (ESV):  

1  Unless the Lord builds the house, 

those who build it labour in vain. 

  Unless the Lord watches over the city, 

the watchman stays awake in vain. 

 2  It is in vain that you rise up early 

and go late to rest, 

  eating the bread of anxious toil; 

for he gives to his beloved sleep. 

 3  Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, 

the fruit of the womb a reward. 

 4  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior 

are the children of one’s youth. 

 5  Blessed is the man 

who fills his quiver with them! 

  He shall not be put to shame 

when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. 

Whether you are building something, or watching over something or someone, you cannot do it well if you’re doing it without God! It doesn’t matter if you are building something big or small, or if you are watching over one person, a family, community, or a city, don’t do it without inviting God into the situation. Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, had discovered that doing life without God ‘it is in vain’. Through his considerations and research, he noticed that if you are working hard, trying to figure out problems and using your own capacity to complete the load, there is no satisfaction, rest or success because God is not involved. This does not mean that you should do nothing, this psalm isn’t about being idle. Solomon clearly expects there to be some kind of work for you to do. His insight is to get on with it WITH God. For God has given you tasks to get on with, people to care about and things to build, but not on your own. Your daily endeavours should be a co-partnership with The Lord God Almighty. Are you taking your load, and are you allowing God to take His?

Often people are stressed, overworked and anxious because they feel the weight of responsibility for whatever it is they are tasked with. They work hard to figure out solutions, wonder about progressing, how to fix or build things, and solve people’s problems. They rightly care about whatever it is they are doing for God has given them that opportunity. The problem is that people can forget that God was involved in providing this work, and the influence they have there, instead they think that it all depends on them. For those who are not yet believers in God, it is true that the workload is dependent on their capacity, kindness, strength and knowledge. They have to rely on their own abilities, for who else is there to help them? As a believer, you are not in the same position. You have a very capable, creative, understanding and powerful co-worker. The question is, are you using Him? Are you doing what you need to do with God, or working as hard as you can alone?

It is easy to slip into just getting on with it, using your own capabilities and capacity, only thinking to invite God in when it gets tough. If this is the case for you, Solomon is telling you that you are working ‘in vain’. You could have God’s help, strength and advice all of the time! Think about having God present and active in your workplace, home or community - can you imagine what would happen, the rapport between workmates, the breakthroughs in situations, the favour and success? Are you allowing this to happen, or are you getting in the way, by doing it all yourself?

Think about this; when you are relying on your own abilities, even if you have great capacity and skills, they are pretty small when compared to God. When you rely on your own strength and capacity, it is minuscule in comparison to the strength of the Lord. So you are going to suffer, and quite possibly make things worse, when you do not allow God room to participate with you. You can get up early and go to bed late in order to get things done, you can lose sleep, fret over situations and work as hard as you can, but for what?! It is in vain. When you do things by yourself, because you feel you can handle it, or you want to achieve something yourself, that is pride (vanity). You were never designed to work alone. Neglecting to work alongside God makes your life harder. It also isn’t very successful and leads to ‘anxious toil’ and sleeplessness (v2). You were designed to work alongside the Lord, not instead of Him. You are allowed to not worry and to rest. 

If what you are doing causes you stress and worry, like it does for everyone else, how are you any different to those who do not have God in their lives? Resting and working knowing that God is with you will help you avoid anxious toil, being overburdened and losing sleep. In whatever you have to do, you need to allow space for God to reveal Himself. If you are busy doing everything, how much are you allowing God to do? and how are you demonstrating your faith in Him? Remind yourself that God can do all things, you can’t. God gives you responsibility, work to do, and people to lead, but you do not have full authority or responsibility, He does. God desires that you share the load with Him, then you can rest and work well. With such a powerful co-worker, imagine what could happen.

God has 'worked salvation'

Psalm 98:1–9 (ESV):  

1  Oh sing to the Lord a new song, 

for he has done marvellous things! 

  His right hand and his holy arm 

have worked salvation for him. 

 2  The Lord has made known his salvation; 

he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. 

 3  He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness 

to the house of Israel. 

  All the ends of the earth have seen 

the salvation of our God. 

 4  Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; 

break forth into joyous song and sing praises! 

 5  Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, 

with the lyre and the sound of melody! 

 6  With trumpets and the sound of the horn 

make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! 

 7  Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 

the world and those who dwell in it! 

 8  Let the rivers clap their hands; 

let the hills sing for joy together 

 9  before the Lord, for he comes 

to judge the earth. 

  He will judge the world with righteousness, 

and the peoples with equity.

What an uplifting psalm, one that inspires praise for God has done ‘marvellous things’! What are the marvellous things you see that He has done? 

One of those marvellous, incredible things is that God has worked hard to bring salvation. God put in effort, and went through pain in order to allow you to enjoy salvation. It hurt Him and was difficult for Him to allow His son, Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice to abolish all sin. At the moment of Jesus death, for the first time in history, God and His son were separated. It was not an easy task to plan His son's death, but it was necessary for us to know forgiveness. God ‘worked salvation’ and suffered for our freedom. It was difficult, but God did it anyway. God wanted to achieve a way for all people to be made righteous. So, He planned it, put in effort and persevered even when it broke His heart. He wanted to ensure that there was a way for you to be free from sin and the associated guilt and shame. 

Yet, God’s salvation plan did not end there. He didn’t let salvation be a one time only thing. The pathway of salvation hasn’t withered, gone out of date, or been lost in decades past. God has ensured that all people of every generation, throughout history, and well into the future, can find their way to Him. For He has ‘made known his salvation’. The life, birth, death and resurrection of Jesus are not secret. There are historical eye witness accounts of it and people who follow God explain it. God’s salvation plan has been worked out and revealed for centuries. God is making sure that ‘All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God’.  He wants everyone to have the opportunity to know forgiveness and restoration through salvation, it is freely and universally available because of God’s love and faithfulness. God has worked salvation!

Interestingly, the same verse that tells us that salvation was worked out by God also says that salvation is ‘for him’, for God. Have you ever considered that? It is easy and natural for us to accept that salvation is for us as we get all the benefit of forgiveness, acceptance, being made new plus a restored relationship with God. It seems like it is all for us because of God’s great generosity and love. So what does salvation bring about for God? 

Well, God has always wanted a family. He started with Adam and Eve, and that was great for a while, but they sinned. Then time went on and Noah was saved out of the rest of the Earth, then we hear about Sodom and Gommorah. The pattern of humanities descent into sin and chaos is repeated throughout history. Yet so is the fact that God rescues, restores and favours a few. He notices those who follow Him the best they can despite the despair and dysfunction around them. So, He takes care of them and saves them even though they are not perfect. Why? because God wants a big family. He wants to be with people who know, love and appreciate Him, is that not what most of us want too? (No surprise there as we are made in His image!). This is why God has worked hard to bring salvation. He wanted to make a way for you to belong to Him so that you can enjoy His presence and He can enjoy yours. Salvation gives you the opportunity to know Him and approach Him as His son/daughter and that is what He has always wanted, this is why salvation is for Him.

What a reason to be joyful and appreciative of God’s kindness and great love! The whole of creation sings, claps and testifies of His goodness because He is righteous, fair and kind. How do you make your happiness known because your God loves you and has ‘worked salvation’ for you?

Dwelling Place

 Psalm 90: 1-17 (ESV):

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. 

 2  Before the mountains were brought forth, 

or ever you had formed the earth and the world, 

from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 

 3  You return man to dust 

and say, “Return, O children of man!” 

 4  For a thousand years in your sight 

are but as yesterday when it is past, 

or as a watch in the night. 

 5  You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, 

like grass that is renewed in the morning: 

 6  in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; 

in the evening it fades and withers. 

 7  For we are brought to an end by your anger; 

by your wrath we are dismayed. 

 8  You have set our iniquities before you, 

our secret sins in the light of your presence. 

 9  For all our days pass away under your wrath; 

we bring our years to an end like a sigh. 

 10  The years of our life are seventy, 

or even by reason of strength eighty; 

  yet their span is but toil and trouble; 

they are soon gone, and we fly away. 

 11  Who considers the power of your anger, 

and your wrath according to the fear of you? 

 12  So teach us to number our days 

that we may get a heart of wisdom. 

 13  Return, O Lord! How long? 

Have pity on your servants! 

 14  Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, 

that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 

 15  Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, 

and for as many years as we have seen evil. 

 16  Let your work be shown to your servants, 

and your glorious power to their children. 

 17  Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us, 

and establish the work of our hands upon us; 

yes, establish the work of our hands! 

God, ‘our dwelling place in all generations’. What a powerful concept to consider. Eternal, consistent, comfortable, accessible, strong, inviting, restful, every day. These are some of the things i think about when i think about God being our dwelling place. The writer of this psalm, Moses, had experienced a lot in his life and he knew the power of God being his dwelling place. He grew up in a palace, made a life and got married in Midian, returned to Egypt, then lived in a desert for the rest of his days. Yet throughout these different experiences and locations he knew the security and constancy of the ‘dwelling place’ of God. This was his security and constancy. He knew that no matter what happened or wherever he lived, he dwelt with God. The God who had been faithful through every triumph and trial in every previous generation and proceeding one. Moses knew the truth that God could even be your ‘dwelling place’ when you have no place to call home. God is the same today. He is just as; accessible, strong, welcoming, eternal and restful today as he was yesterday, thousands of years ago and in thousands of years to come. This psalm was probably written 3,400 years ago,  isn't it wonderful to see that God hasn’t changed! You can learn from this ancient scripture just as if it was written a few hours ago in your home town, in your own language, culture and context because the nature of God, ‘our dwelling place’ is eternally consistent. 

Man has not changed either. We came from dust, and to dust we will return (v3), our lives are but a moment, ‘like a dream’ (v5) and we go wrong (v8). That was true at the beginning of time, in Moses era and still is today. In comparison to God, we are momentary, of little significance and sinful. We have obvious and ‘secret sins’ none of which are hidden from God. In fact all are brought, ‘in the light of your presence’. Can you even begin to understand that?! All the things you do, say or think that no-one knows about, and the jealousy, anger and fear that you harbour is all set before God as clear as day. Yet, He still loves you and is your dwelling place! Even though you are but dust, your life like a sigh and you are not very good - God desires that you know the security and love of abiding in Him. He is your dwelling place. You can live your life, as Moses did, understanding that wherever you are or are up to, you can live your life with God always and everywhere. It does not matter what journeys you take, the twists and turns, ups and downs, God remains secure. You can dwell with Him.

Your life is not as long as you think it is. God considers your life ‘like a dream’, momentary and fleeting. Moses acknowledges this brevity and asks that God would, ‘teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom’. That is pretty powerful. For if you can learn that each day is a gift from God, and that one day there will be no more days, how different would you live? Would you hold onto resentment, pain, anger, fear or disappointment? Or would you live with the knowledge that ‘This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it’ (Psalm 118:24)? Learning to number your days can make you incredibly grateful for each one, as well as recognising that you are dependent upon God for every breath, and the hope you have for tomorrow. It is good to remember that your life is finite, and short like the grass. What would you live for, what would you do and who would you spend your time with if you knew you only had a little time left? Because you do. It really does matter what choices you make today for one day your dream-like life will end and there will be no more time, no more breaths to do or say the things you need to. 

Do not live afraid though at this brevity of life. For God is still your dwelling place and He can, ‘make us glad for as many days as you (God) have afflicted us’. God can bring you peace and joy in the life you do have, for as many days as He has ordained for you. Maybe some of that peace comes from recognising that life is short, and that God has ordained each day. Therefore any difficulties you face are only temporary, yet your dwelling with God is for eternity. You can have hope and joy today because God made today, and today isn’t the end of the story for there will be a tomorrow. 

The psalm concludes by asking God to allow His people see His work, and for Him to bless their work. It is good for you to see God’s work as it is encouraging and motivating to see the awesome things He does. It inspires and builds faith. It is easy to forget what God has done as life goes on and memories fade, so it is ok to ask God to remind you of what He is doing. God works in many ways; internally and externally and you can ask that God, ‘Let your work be shown to your servants’. You may see signs, wonders and miracles, breakthroughs, quiet internal revelation or something else. Allow yourself to see that God is working so that you can be inspired to fulfil your own work. For just as God works, so too you are expected to work. It doesn’t matter what type of work it is whether it is; working at home, studying, in the community or through having a job. Whatever your work looks like, you  are fulfilling something of your purpose as you actively contribute. Whether you like what you have been tasked to do or not, ask God to, ‘establish the work of our hands’. Ask for His help, strength and guidance so that you grow and make a positive contribution. Consider both the work of God and your own work, what is God showing you?  Work can be difficult, rewarding, time-consuming, boring and valuable, sometimes all at the same time. This is partly why you need to see where God’s is working, so that you can see what your duty is and follow Him in it. God has designed you to work, so do it well for you are demonstrating something of who He is through it. Even in this little life, no matter how short it is, you have a purpose, hope and a future. God is your dwelling place forever and He can establish the work of your hands right now - are you trusting Him to?

Psalm 127 - part 2

In part 1 of this psalm, we looked at the first two verses, today will will be focussing on v3-5. With the recollection that labouring, watching and toiling without God is all in vain;

 A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. 

*1* Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 

*2* It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. 

*3* Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. 

*4* Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 

*5* Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. 

After the initial 2 verses showing us that working hard, worrying and looking out for others is pointless if God is not in it, Solomon then speaks about children. I think it is appropriate that Solomon tells us about the everyday things of life that we can worry about before he gets onto talking us about kids. Most of the time they are the aspect of life that parents worry about most! Therefore we need good practice at trusting God with the other things before we can even consider handing over our children to God. I think that is why this psalm is ordered that way - by first telling us that worrying about work, finances and safety is all in vain if God is there, before speaking into raising children. We have got to get our security in God in  those things first before we can even entertain the thought that our children can be entrusted to God because that is much harder to do. We need the very real practice of trusting God. When we can trust God for our future, work, rest and protection rather than our own abilities and hard work, and we have seen Him be faithful in those, then we can begin to entertain the idea that He can be trusted with our children too. It is easy to say that we trust God with all of these things, but it is very difficult to actually do. 

Verse 3 clearly tells us that children are a blessing. Sometimes we know that, other times we forget it! Children are in fact a, ‘heritage from the Lord’ - what an amazing statement! The word heritage is about having an ‘individual possession’ or an ‘allotted portion’. Children are ‘allotted’ to us ‘from the Lord’. They are not really ours, but we get to share life with them and guide them. Children are entrusted to us by God as a part of our life. We have part-ownership in our kids, not full ownership as we sometimes mistakenly believe. God has shown me this recently when things have been incredibly difficult, and i have told Him that i cannot do it. I cannot parent this child and i do not know what to do. God clearly told me 'give them to me then'. It was then i remembered this very thing; our children are not really ours. They were always God's first. I was battling, stressing and worrying (in vain!) when it is not fully my responsibility to do so, as these children are ‘allotted’ to us. We have part-ownership and we can go wrong and get stressed out when we forget and try to fix it all ourselves. That is what i was trying to do. I was praying and asking for guidance and at my wits end, so i was trusting God, but I wasn't handing over to Him. Does that make sense? Sometimes we can hold on too tight. We feel the full responsibility, but we were never meant to carry it by ourselves. It can be easy to pray and know that God is present even when things are falling apart, but then comes the reality that we need to give up trying to fix things and let God do it. That is where i was and it is scary and painful realising that you are not enough, but it gives God a chance to work and show what he can do. It is also a massive relief when you are able to emotionally do that. Remember that children are an, 'heritage from the Lord'. We can easily forget that and mistakenly believe that they are ours. Yet we share part-ownership. God is also invested and involved in the lives of our kids, and sometimes we need to let go and let Him influence, guide and guard. 

‘Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.’ A warrior knows how to use his arrows. He takes care of them, protects them and refines them before he sets them loose. As a parent or influential adult in a young person's life, you can invest in guiding and refining them. The purpose of an arrow is to fly. A warrior does all he can to ensure it flies straight and hits the mark. That is our responsibility too - Children will one day fly - what are you directing them to when they do? 

One thing I often say as a parent is, “if my kids have got hold of who God is in their lives then I know they will be alright.” It doesn’t mean their lives will be easy or straight forward, but it does mean that their souls will be well. If our children know they have access to and can have a relationship with God, then they can handle life well. No matter what happens. So, it is my duty as a parent to do my best to model a good relationship with God and invite them into it and let them know they can have the same. To me, this is ensuring that the arrows fly well. Our children have purpose, meaning and a direction in life to follow. Our responsibility is to help, encourage and 'train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it' (proverbs 22:6). What great comfort that is.

Psalm 127 - part 1

As you enter a new year, have you thought about what are you worried about this coming year? Are you concerned for your family? Your community? Your nation? Your life? finances? security? Work? 

Take comfort as you read the following psalm;

127

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. 

*1* Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 

*2* It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. 

If you are starting off the year worried, pause to consider, are you letting God build into your life? Or are you striving under your own power and inspiration? 

‘Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain’. It may be something good or positive that you are trying to build, but is God in it? Is He in command and are you doing the part He wants you to? If not, then you are basically wasting your time. Going round in stressful circles and not achieving much. God wants to be allowed to take the stress, the time frames, the projections, hopes and aspirations and show you what He can do. You don’t need to do it all or try to fix everything. For God knows what will succeed and what will fail, so surely it is a good idea to get His take on things. If you are fed up of your, ‘labour in vain’, then why not invite God into what you are trying to build and see what He can do with it all. As you begin this year, before you make those resolutions, why not take time to consider is it in vain, or is God helping and motivating you? 

It may not be work, finance or making something in life that you’re concerned about, what about safety and security? The same goes for those aspects of life too. God is the best watchman - He doesn’t fall asleep or get distracted. A watchman looks out and spots trouble coming, checking the security and safety of what they have responsibility for. God can be a watchman for you. It doesn’t mean that trouble is going to disappear, but you can rest assured that God is there watching and expecting. Therefore you can rest. You can relax and rest as eventhough you do not know what is going to happen, you can have the assurance that God does and He is ready and waiting. There is no point losing sleep over the things that you are worried about but can do nothing to change, instead ask God to watch over the things that concern you. Having sleepless nights and troubled thoughts is in vain - it doesn’t change anything other than the fact you will be tired and grumpy! How about this year, give yourself a break from stress and worry and hand things over to the faithful watchman who can guide, protect and look after each person that you care  about.

Oh, v2, I am sure many will be living this right now, ‘anxious toil’. Christmas is known as a time when many overspend, and January a time when people regret it. In the world at present it is also a time of financial uncertainty, increased bills, unknown income. A time when people look at their bank balance and wonder how on earth they are going to be at zero at the end of the month let alone have money leftover. Yet here in v2, we are clearly told not to worry and stress about it. We can work ourselves into ‘anxious toil’, trying to burn the candle at both ends just trying to make ends meet, puzzling over the bank balance or working hard to try and earn a bit more, the reality is even then we don’t always manage to make it work. What does working like that achieve? Anxiety, tiredness, stress, sickness; ‘anxious toil’. This verse tells us it is futile. Instead we can know rest and sleep even when we are concerned about work, bills etc.

How? By knowing that you are ‘his beloved’ and He wants to give you a break. If you are one of God’s children, then you are his beloved, and as someone dearly loved and cared for, you can trust that God has got it all in hand. He can give you rest from anxiety and toil when you really trust Him. Know who you are to Him, then that will give you peace and comfort. Your situation may not change, but when you trust God to love you, then you will find rest. Not just sleep, but the rest you need from the stresses and strains of life too. 

These first 2 verses show that there is nothing too big for God. He can handle your dreams, your prospects, your household, family, work life, finances, safety and protection. God can take care of all of it. Are you trusting Him to?

Being dedicated to God in your work life

Daniel’s fellow high officials and satraps are so jealous of his recognition, good service and impermeable character that they seek his downfall. They persuade the king to make a ruling that they know Daniel will not keep because of his dedication to God. They plot and plan together to not punish Daniel, harm him or discredit him - they want him dead. 

The officials and satraps cleverly come up with an edict that could rid them of Daniel and cause the king to feel esteemed at the same time. Thus ensuring that thier plot to be rid of Daniel can be fulfilled. The plan is that king Darius make an ordinance that all prayers and petitions be directed to himself for 30 days, no other person or god. The king likes the idea - he gets the glory and renown, so it sounds good to him. He doesn’t seem to question it or consider the ramifications other than it would make him look and feel good. 

Once the new rule has been put in place we find that despite the rule not to, Daniel has continued to faithfully honour and pray to his God alone. He kept his routine; praying 3 times a day, unhidden, carrying on just as boldly, or even more so, to seek God. The fellow officials and satraps expect Daniel would do so, so they know when, where and how to catch him out. It is no surprise. It seems that it is with glee that they inform king Darius of Daniel’s disobedience, knowing that the king’s favourite must now be dumped in the den of lions;

'14*Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he laboured till the sun went down to rescue him. *15*Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.” 

*16*Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” *17*And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. *18*Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.'

Daniel 6:14–18.

The punishment is quickly brought about, and we can see the concern, regret, the disturbance of the king. He worried, he planned, he tried to rescue Daniel, but he could not figure out how to do it. So he reluctantly carries out the edict that has been written and without much faith says to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”. Darius does not know that this is possible. A man, chucked amongst vicious beasts does not stand much chance, and he, the king, has decreed it. Unwittingly signing the death warrant of his most loyal, faithful overseer and he can do nothing about it. So he frets, loses sleep, can’t eat and expects the worse. Knowing that Darius showed this level of grief shows that he and Daniel clearly had a good, personal relationship, a mutual trust and respect for one another. Darius clearly sees Daniel as more than a worker or a leader. Through working together, Daniel has become a trusted adviser and friend. So much so, that although the king knows that the rules must be obeyed, he wishes they didn’t so that he could save Daniel’s life.

What are you working relationships like?

Daniel had a mixed experience. King Darius, his boss loved him - he saw Daniel's hard work, success, patience, insight and trustworthiness. Yet, at the same time, Daniel's co-workers were jealous and wanted rid of him. The question is, what are you working for? We all work to receive money, but what is your intent at work? Is it just to earn money? or is it to make God known? 

Through Daniel's work ethic, his honesty,  care for others, his problem solving attitude and diligence, he made it known that he was following God in what he did. He openly talked about his faith and displayed it by his actions. When at work, we have a real opportunity to display Jesus not just in what we say, but what we do and how we do it. 

Do people see you working conscientiously, with care, respectfully? 

Do you honour the rules, even the ones that no-one else does? 

Do you bring God with you to work -do you make it clear where your strength and abilities come from like Daniel did? 

Daniel relied on God throughout. People knew who he was serving - he lived and was prepared to be ridiculed, pushed out and die for it. Some people loved him, some people hated him, he still did what he knew God wanted him to do - Do people see the same dedication in you? 

Are you jealous?

 *4*Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. *5*Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” 

Daniel 6:4–5.

The high officials and satraps, Daniel’s; fellow workers, leaders, peers, sought to find fault in him, why? They had no grounds to dislike him or seek to punish him, yet they desired to. They saw his success, and no matter how hard they looked, they could only find that in all things he dealt with integrity - how annoying! They had no reason to complain about him, yet their hatred/jealousy of him did not abate. The only thing they could probably say is that maybe he made them look bad, or not as good as they thought they were because of his integrity. Ultimately, this desire to catch Daniel out, to report him for misconduct or error is not because they were concerned or worried about his work ethic, but because they were all jealous. Not of his character or righteousness, but of his commendation and position.

I wonder what could have happened if they had approached Daniel and sought advice or assistance to improve their reputation and ability in their responsible positions. Or if they had been as diligent with inspecting their own work and resolving problems rather than trying to find problems with Daniel’s. These officials were all men of high regard, authority and power, intelligent and capable. They had similar roles and responsibilities to Daniel, and yet they are consumed with jealousy. They see that eventhough he is the same in position, he is different. Daniel is regarded differently by the king himself, so instead of looking at what they can improve or seeking Daniel's aid and advice, they become consumed with jealousy. They have lost sight of what they already have and are disgruntled because someone else does the job better. Rather than seeking self-improvement they seek the destruction of the one better than them.

Have you ever seen that in your life? Can you be like that? 

Be honest with yourself; do you harbour annoyance, anger, jealousy when others have what you do not? Do you find yourself complaining about others because they are successful? Or are you jealous when others have different roles and responsibilities than you? 

You may not outwardly express the jealousy, or seeks another's downfall in practice, but internalising it is just as unhealthy. 

Jealousy can sneak in over time, and it can be easy to justify our feelings of resentment and dislike by seeking reasons to talk and think badly of others, finding solace in the fact that others feel the same. This is what Daniel's fellow leaders did - they realised they all disliked Daniel and got together to plot his downfall. Yet, finding that others may harbour the same response to someone doesn’t make it right. It doesn’t mean that you are right to feel that way. We can take warning from this story in Daniel about how it is. Jealousy is ugly, so watch yourself, watch your heart, and your responses to others. If you find any jealousy there, talk to God about it, and ask Him to help you. Jealousy is really admiration taken the wrong way, so ask God to help you to restore relationships and help you to see the good in the person, maybe even seek their help and advice - what is it in them that you actually want? Ask God to grow YOU rather than desiring the downfall of another.

I am sure Daniel must have been aware of the other officials and satraps scrutinising his work, and probably their disgruntled feelings towards him, but he does not deal unkindly with them (that would have been grounds for complaint), and he continues to work diligently. He did not change his work style when he realised his fellow officials and satraps were looking into his business. He did not work slower or less in order to make himself seem less good. He simply did what he knew was right and did what he could. You should do the same. 

Daniel knew that this job, as important and significant as it was, was just a job. His aim and what he lived for was to work in such a way as to honour the God he served in whatever capacity he had opportunity to. As followers of God, we to0 should work as if we are working for Jesus, not for the approval of others. So, work diligently, faithfully, with integrity and dedication to whatever task you are given. Do not worry about the others around you - you are responsible for you. You are responsible for the way you behave and your own responses to other people. If you are a follower of Jesus - you are working for a higher purpose, for a greater, more powerful boss than any other. Do those around you see it?

It is good....

 

Every time God made something during the creation story, there are comments that He saw ‘it was good’. 

I have read this many times, as I suppose some of you may of done, but this time I considered this repeated phrase - what is it actually showing us - this simple phrase?

It shows me that God is satisfied with His work. He has put in effort, energy and consideration into what He is dong and He is content with the result. God is satisfied with what He has produced.

Are you content and satisfied with the work of your hands? Do you step back at the end of the day and think that your work is good?

If not, take time at the end of your work to appreciate what you have done. We all have tough work periods, and times when things don’t go right - but have you put in a good days work? Have you made progress? Have you done all you could (without burning yourself out)? 

If you think you are never enough or doing enough, then maybe you need to sit back at the end of the day and consider the good you have done. You are human, you are entitled to sit back and appreciate your labours - God did. Don’t be afraid of giving yourself a pat on the back or acknowledging your efforts. It could just change your perspective in your work life. It could even cause you to reflect on the work you want to do. 

‘It is good”

God is satisfied and content with His labours - are you? If not, what is it that you need to change? 

What's you work ethic?

He who digs a pit will fall into it, 
and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall. 
*9* He who quarries stones is hurt by them, 
and he who splits logs is endangered by them. 
*10* If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, 
he must use more strength, 
but wisdom helps one to succeed. 
*11* If the serpent bites before it is charmed, 
there is no advantage to the charmer. 

Ecclesiastes 10:8–11.

This Chapter of Ecclesiastes reads like a set of proverbs, so I think it’s important not to whizz through them but to stop and consider what is each verse really saying. It’s easy to skim over and get the gist of the message, but when we slow down and consider we understand and appreciate more. So, lets look at each verse individually;

V8; ‘He who digs a pit will fall into it, 
and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.’
Why would you dig a pit? Usually because you’re laying a trap, trying to ensnare someone or something.
Why would you break through a wall? It could be because you're feeling destructive, annoyed or even as an act of vengeance, these are times when we usually like to break things!
So, what can we learn from this verse is that acting out of anger, plotting vengeance or revenge is only going to hurt ourselves in the end. Don’t try to trick people, trap them or hurt them because it will turn about that you will be exposed and punished. Trying to tear down others’ will lead to some kind of downfall for yourself.

V9; ‘He who quarries stones is hurt by them, 
and he who splits logs is endangered by them.‘
Basically, no matter what job you do, there’s danger! The reality is that there are risks all around us, living life can be a bit dangerous, but do you think the miner worries everyday if he’s cut by a stone? Or the lumberjack worries about the dangers of an axe? A policeman or fireman doesn’t go into work every shift consumed by their own mortality and fragility - they get on with it. Whatever job you do, whether it carries physical or relational risk, or even financial and temporal risk, life and work can be risky, but don’t spend your life worried about the ‘what ifs’. Keep on going, the more you practice the scary stuff, the less it’ll scare you.

V10; ‘If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, 
he must use more strength, 
but wisdom helps one to succeed.‘
I think this leads nicely on from the previous verse, considering splitting logs with an axe - if the blade is blunt, it is not going to be easy to use. A good lumberjack doesn't turn up to work with a blunt axe - he knows the work will be harder and it's just not sensible.
Therefore, when getting ready to work ensure the tools of your trade are ready for the work they need to do. Prepare, get ready, if you don't it’s going to take a lot more out of you than it needs to. The idle or foolish person is not ready, their equipment is inefficient so they can’t work properly. The wise prepare. There may be physical tools we need to look after, or it could be preparing the body and mind. If we purposefully do not look after our bodies, rest well, hydrate, then are you even ready? Is your mind sharpened or blunt? It takes a lot more effort to use a blunt tool than a sharpened one. So, whatever your hand finds to do, whatever your workload looks like, get prepared, be ready, be sharp!

V11; ‘If the serpent bites before it is charmed, 
there is no advantage to the charmer.’
Why would a snake do that? It seems to me that a snake would do that if it is not handled right. A charmers job is to ensure that the snake is restful and of no harm to anyone, the charmer has confidence in their capability but if they are not quick enough off the mark, they’ll get hurt.  It’s the same for us in whatever job we do. We shouldn’t be over-confident in our ability, we should take each day seriously, be alert, consistent and careful. Maybe the charmer turned up for late that day, maybe they were hungover or just could not be bothered to do what is necessary. Maybe they were lazy, despondent, annoyed or even a bit cocky about their abilities. This lax attitude clearly does not work out well, if you not working to your full potential it effects you and you could get bitten, don't be lazy or over-confident - you could get harmed.

It seems that these verses are really speaking about our work ethic. so, whatever job you do, take it seriously. Whether you think you get paid enough or not should not effect the effort you put into each day. There are no excuses to be lazy, unprepared, slow, inefficient or vengeful. In the end, the main person this will effect is yourself - you can get hurt. If you have slipped into bad habits, if your focus has not been on the job, if you’re frequently late, trying to trick others out, whose reputation is on the line? Who is responsible for the way they handle their workload, colleagues and clients? That’s right - you are! So, don’t let yourself down, don’t be caught out by unsharpened tools, or by the power of anger and resentment in your life.

Be wise
Be sharp
Be ready..

Who are you working for?

“For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” 
 Ecclesiastes 4:8.

This is a good question to ask ourselves. What is the purpose to our working? Whether it’s voluntary, paid, around the home, in the community or in business - what’s the purpose of your toil?

Do you work hard to provide for your family? Give your kids nice things? Provide for your retirement? Make advancements for the next generation? keep busy? earn money? We all have different reasons. I’m not saying any of them are right or wrong, but it is good to consider why do you do what you do.

The verse above implies that as we work we deprive ourselves of some pleasure. That is true - we can’t do all the things we want to when we have all the responsibilities of work (whatever kind of work that is). So is the balance worth it?

I have had times in my life when I have to consider the balance of work and home life. Compromises have to be made. The decision has not always seemed for my benefit either, but it’s often a consideration of many factors.

One of the hardest decisions I had to make regarding work was when I gave up a job I absolutely loved and was good at. It stretched and challenged me, I enjoyed the day-to-day responsibilities and workload. I was successful and I had a sense of enjoyment and escape from the difficult home life we had at the time.
The opportunity then came up for me to be at home full-time without losing a wage. That, for me, was a terribly difficult decision (it may seem like a dream to some). I found home life so difficult that work was an escape. Maybe you’ve experienced something like that, or even the other way around. I had to carefully consider if I could give up something I enjoyed for something that would deprive me of pleasure and success, and would most certainly be toil. Maybe God is also calling you to something that is really hard, or to make a decision that seems not to make sense but you have a yearning towards it - what are you going to do?

At that time in my life I felt that God asked me to give up the job. It took me weeks to consider, pray and set my mind to do it though as it was not something that I actually wanted to do. Sometimes our lives call us to endure toil. This was a time of great toil for me. But my life is not just about me getting enjoyment, success or pleasure out of it.

As christians, God calls us all to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19), and I was required during that season to give up some pleasure in order to invest in the future disciples of our household. I was required to invest in the lives entrusted to us. It took me weeks of internal battle to make that decision because I didn’t’t actually want to do it. I was aware this season would be one of toil. But, now, over 3 years later, has the investment been worth it? Really, does that even matter? To God, our obedience matters, but yes, our family looks vastly different to how it was then. We have all grown. I have had the privilege of noticing the small improvements, to provide the simple things that our kids have appreciated and we have healthy relationships. I can only hope and pray that this continues. The years of toil for you and I will be worth it when we are following what God wants us to do. If our toil is simply doing it for our own advancement there is limited reward in that.

 “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” 

You may say for me, it was for our kids, but mainly I did it because God was asking me to, and of course, it was of benefit to our family. The long-lasting effects, who knows?!
I am now in a position where I am again considering my work life. It seems like God is unsettling some things and bringing some new things closer - what decision will I make in the following months? Where am I going? and what am I going to do? Am I going to trust God in the difficult decisions when there’s an easy way ahead? I pray for you and I that we will bravely take God’s way - there’s much more pleasure in that even when there’s a lot of toil involved.

I'd encourage you to take time today to consider this, and maybe ponder these questions:
Are you following your own plan?
Someone else plan?
Or God’s plan in your life?
Does your work fulfil the mission God has given you?
For whom are you toiling and depriving yourself of pleasure?