Psalm 90:17, NIV
“May the favour of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands.”
I sometimes hear people being so super-spiritual that it seems as though life on earth is of little importance to them, because their ‘real life’ is going to be lived in heaven with God! As with many ways of thinking, this is both very true and very false! Yes, in Heaven we will be able to enjoy living in a way that is unprecedented here on Earth, without any of the consequences of sin marring any aspect of life. But if we think that our life on earth is unimportant then we have completely overlooked a very precious truth that is contained within Ephesians 2:10, where Paul tells us that “we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
The things that God has prepared for each one of us to do are, indeed, precious – to us and to Him. The work of our hands is important to God. He is keenly interested in every aspect of our lives and He rejoices in them. It is right and proper to be praying that God will bless the work of our hands and establish – make firm and strong – whatever it is that we do.
God rejoiced when He created us and the gifts and abilities with which we are blessed. He, therefore, rejoices in everything we do which is a fulfilment of His plans and purpose for our lives – on Earth – not just when we get to Heaven!
Once we understand that God is interested in us, our work and all the things we enjoy and do, then our attitude towards them changes. They are no longer an earthly drudgery but a divine appointment. They are no longer boring, they are thrilling. And it is in the doing of those things that He has set before us, and in doing them well, that we prepare for ourselves seasons of blessing to come. We can know and be blessed by the favour of God – both here and in eternity.
Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that you are interested in the works of my hands. Thank You for all the gifts and abilities you have given me. Help me to always seek to walk in Your ways, doing the things that please You all my days. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
