Day 192 – Work

Proverbs 22:13 The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside! I will be slain in the streets!”

• God’s names:
• YAHWEH/JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal
• Elohiym – Supreme God
• Yeshuwa/Iesous – Jesus
• Kurios – Supreme Authority
• Christos – Anointed One, Messiah

• God’s character:
• Productive
• Creator

Drive through your city at any time of the day? What do you see? People who stand on street corners with signs begging for help. I saw one not too long ago that asked for help to feed him and his dog. These people are lazy. They don’t want to work. They want you to take care of them.

Solomon put it bluntly. He said the lazy man refuses to do anything because there’s a lion in the street. They’re too lazy to help themselves. YAHWEH commanded people to work to take care of themselves.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, YAHWEH told them they would work for their food.

Genesis 3:17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You should not eat of it’: cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles will it bring forth for you, and you will eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you will eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you will return.”

Solomon knew the Law. Nowhere in the law does YAHWEH say you are to sit on your hands and ask for handouts. But it does say the people were to help those who were truly poor. Who worked but still had trouble taking care of their basic needs. Solomon saw the excuses people made not to work. He saw the beggars sitting at the gate.

Solomon also knew YAHWEH was an Elohiym that never slumbered or slept.

The psalmist wrote about YAHWEH taking care of His people. They could come to Him with their needs. He would listen and respond. However, YAHWEH does not help a lazy man who gives excuses why he won’t work to take care of themselves. He helps those who trust Him, depend on Him, and work to take care of themselves and their families, just as He commanded Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Psalm 121:1 (A Song of Ascents.) I will lift my eyes to the hills — From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from YAHWEH, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 YAHWEH is your keeper; YAHWEH is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 YAHWEH will preserve you from all evil; He will preserve your soul. 8 YAHWEH will preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

YAHWEH never rested, slept, or considered your prayers too hard to answer. He never said He would wait until a convenient time for Him to answer your urgent prayers. There are no excuses with Elohiym.

But what if YAHWEH was lazy? What if He left creation unfinished? What if He was exactly like what Elijah accused the priests of Baal that he was — sleeping, on a trip, too busy to answer their prayers. No matter what the priests did, Baal never answered them.

1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If YAHWEH is Elohiym, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of YAHWEH; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Therefore, let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. 24 Then you call on the name of your elohiyms, and I will call on the name of YAHWEH; and the Elohiym who answers by fire, He is Elohiym.” So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.” 25 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your elohiym, but put no fire under it.” 26 So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. 27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a elohiym; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. 29 And when midday passed, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention. 30 Then Elijah said to the people, “Come near to me.” So the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of YAHWEH that was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of YAHWEH had come, saying, “Israel will be your name.” 32 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of YAHWEH; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, cut the bull into pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” 34 Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water. 36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “YAHWEH Elohiym of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are Elohiym in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O YAHWEH, hear me, that this people may know that You are the YAHWEH Elohiym, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” 38 Then the fire of YAHWEH fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “YAHWEH, He is Elohiym! YAHWEH, He is Elohiym!” 40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.

YAHWEH isn’t too busy to answer your prayers. He listens to every prayer and answers them according to His will for you.

When you prayed and asked Yeshuwa to come into your life, to change you, and make you His own, He answered right away. He did not leave you to wonder if you were worthy of His love and protection. You learned that when you trust Him, He will answer. You also learned that Yeshuwa expects you to work. He has work for you in the body of Christos.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Kurios Iesous Christos that they work quietly and eat their own bread.

What excuses do you have, why you can’t work? Stop making excuses and do what Elohiym commanded throughout the Bible — work so you will have enough for you and for those who truly need help.

Ephesians 4:28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. (NKJV)

Let’s pray: Father, thank you that You are a God who does not slumber or sleep. You answer when I pray to You. You gave me work to do. Help me to do it without excuse, so that I can take care of my needs and help those who truly have needs. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 30 July 2026 by Valerie Routhieaux