Psalm 128:2

Psalm 128:2

The fruit of your labour

Let’s be clear here, the Lord God rewards the righteous and He denies the wicked. If we measure rewards using prosperity and academic success as a yardstick, then we might conclude that the wicked come off better than the righteous! But there are other ways of measuring the rewards that the Lord gives. A happy marriage. Loving and respectful children. Sleep at night. Trustworthy friends. Hope for tomorrow. Eyes and ears that can see and hear the beauty of the world around us. Contentment with little. Joy that is inspired by love not by material things. The list is a long one and the items on it are priceless. Many of us have never been rich and yet we have prospered and can say with conviction that we are blessed. 

Notice that the fruits that can be eaten come from our labours, they are not stolen or deceitfully obtained. Old fashioned hard work has made us fruitful, and we are able to enjoy the harvest of what that work has produced. Isaiah puts it like this; “Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done.”Isaiah 3:10-11.

Is it time to look carefully at our lives and to consider the work we do and the benefits that it brings? Are we working for little reward? Do we turn a blind eye to malpractice? Do we condone short cuts and cheating? Are we ready to roll up our sleeves and toil away with the rest of the workforce? Are our earnings or profits the recompense for hard labour? Do we have the right priorities or are we chasing dreams. 

Our rewards are not the accumulation of wealth or a healthy bank balance, but they come from the treasure we have in heaven. Let’s keep investing there.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insis...
Read more

Psalm 119:135

Psalm 119:135 His shining face In verse 58 0f the Psalm we commented on the apparent impossibility of being able to see the face of God. And yet this intimacy was something that the psalmists, and other writers, craved. The High Priestly blessing, prayed over the people every day, asks that the Lord make His face shine upon them. In verse 58 we discovered that this plea involved more than just being able to see the face of God, which was impossible; I quote,  “ The Hebrew word for face in the Old Testament can be translated “presence.” Now things start to make more sense! Those Israelites who so regularly abandoned the Lord God were being reminded to seek again the presence of God and the psalmist lets it be known that this is his constant quest. When you think about it, a person’s face reveals a great deal about their character and personality even, maybe, their circumstances or lifestyle. The more we seek the face of God and the more we spend time in His presence, the more like H...
Read more

Psalm 42:1

Psalm 42:1 Why Lord?   This Psalm and the one that follows offer painful pleas to the Lord.  “Why have You forsaken me? When can I go and meet with God? Why must I go about mourning? Why is my soul so downcast?”  The good news is that the writer knows the answer, “ Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God.”  You will note that these two Psalms (41 and 42) are written by the Sons of Korah. These men, the Korahites, were Levites whose particular role was the worship and ceremonial or liturgical activities at the Tabernacle and later the Temple. They would, therefore, have composed music and songs like this as part of their role and also been engaged with the choir that sang at various times during the day and on festive occasions.    V1        The Psalm starts poetically but also with a heart cry;  “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.”  I’ve r...
Read more