Day 224 – Work

Proverbs 24:30 I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; 31 and there it was, all overgrown with thorns; its surface was covered with nettles; its stone wall was broken down. 32 When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked at it and received instruction: 33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest; 34 so will your poverty come like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.

• God’s names:
• Yeshuwa/Iesous – Jesus
• Christos – Anointed One, Messiah
• Abba/Pater – Father
• Kurios – Supreme Authority

• God’s character:
• Wisdom
• Understanding
• Instructor
• Knowledge

When you drive through your city, you know the places to avoid, the areas where people’s homes look unkempt, like the people who live there don’t care about their homes or their lives.

Solomon was a busy man. He was a man of industry, and the king of Israel. He saw people who cared about their lives and the ones who didn’t and told the people what would happen if they didn’t take care of what belonged to them. It won’t happen all at once, but constant neglect will show the results of laziness.

Proverbs 6:9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— 11 So will your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.

When you became a Christian, did you expect your life would suddenly clean itself up? Your character follows you wherever you go. Laziness doesn’t suddenly go away. Yeshuwa told the people He worked because His Abba never stopped working.

John 5:17 But Iesous answered them, “My Pater has been working until now, and I have been working.”

You are without excuse. Your example in all things is Yeshuwa. His life and work were one thing — salvation.

Many Christians fall back on the parable about taking care of oneself.

Matthew 6:25 “Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is life not more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Pater feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

The birds of the air look carefree, but they are constantly working. Not in the same sense as people, but they build nests for their young, and they take care of them until they leave the nest, providing for them.

Yeshuwa will take care of you, but you also need to work. Only those who don’t work and rely on others for everything they have will not prosper.

1 Corinthians 3:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Iesous Christos. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

You have work to do in the body of Christos. No one can do it for you.

Romans 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christos, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving Kurios; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

Work is the responsibility of every Christian, not only to keep the body healthy, but to keep the soul healthy as well.

What are you doing for the Body of Christos? What is your work? Don’t be a lazy worker.

Let’s pray: Father, You gave me work to do for Your kingdom. Help me to do it to the best of my ability, not expecting someone else to do what You gave me to do. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 31 August 2026 by Valerie Routhieaux

May the Lord bless the work of your hands