Work is a gift that God gave humanity BEFORE sin every entered creation. It is not a necessary evil, but rather a wonderful gift to join with God in caring for the world and people around us. Work even becomes part of God’s gift to others through us. Seeing work as a gift from God rather than a duty to be endured helps us to find joy and purpose in the work we do every day.

Rahab was a person who was not raised to have faith in the God of Israel. She was a foreigner in a place that had foreign gods. Yet, she had heard about the God of Israel and at some point moved from being an unbeliever to a believer. Her faith led her to act with commitment to the one true God, and she experienced redemption and salvation rather than destruction.

Jeremiah had one of the most difficult jobs imaginable. He was instructed by God to give a message of destruction with a call to repentance to the people around him, but he was also told that the people would not listen. Why give such a message!?! Jeremiah understood a difficult truth—the call of God is a burning in our souls that does bring reward and redemption for both us and others, but it that reward and redemption may not come on our own timeline. Like Jeremiah, the redemption may be seen years later. And the reward may be for the life to come. But we can trust that no act of faithfulness is ever wasted. It is all used by God for His glorious purposes in the world.

Naaman was the commander of the army for the nation of Aram. He was an important man (at least in his own eyes). The big problem is that Naaman was struck with Leprosy. At the time it was a devastating disease, both physically and socially critical. When Naaman heard that there was a man who could heal him, he was eager to investigate. But blinded by pride, Naaman expected an elaborate display rather than a simple call for faith. Like Naaman, we need healing in some way. It may be that our redemption lies, not in an elaborate display of power, but through a simple act of faith.

Naomi experienced deep pain of grief, loneliness, and despair. The things that once gave her hope and promise had been taken away from her by the brokenness of life in this broken world. The loss of loved ones and home could have been a unbreakable boundary between Naomi and the God who loves and gives hope, but God redeemed Naomi through her circumstances and the faithfulness of specific people placed in her life. In her story, we see through Naomi that God even redeems the deepest of pain and sorrow.

Elijah did great things in obedience to God, and he saw God do amazing things! Even still, Elijah battled burnout and depression. Elijah finds himself in a place where he wants to give up. He is in a place of complete despair and frustration. He feels alone and that his life has made no impact. Many of us can relate. When Elijah found himself in this place, God reached out to care for Elijah. But it was neither obvious nor overwhelming. Elijah had to still himself and listen. In the silence, Elijah found himself refreshed and redeemed by the quiet voice of God.

Lot’s story is a cautionary tale. At one moment, Lot was living close to a place full of sin. Then he was living in the place. And then he was a central part of the community. Like Lot, we can quickly find ourselves surrounded by sin and a broken society that is pressing down on us. It may even begin to change the way that we think and act. But also like Lot, God can and does provide a way out that leads to redemption of our present lives and our future.

Gideon was created by God to be a great man of strength and valor, but he was overwhelmed by fear and doubt. Even when called by God, he questioned and required proof. Neither frustrated or put off, God moved Gideon to a place of faith and action. We too can experience redemption in Christ as we allow God to move us from a place of fear and doubt to faith and action.

Moses was called by God, but Moses responded with excuses. Moses had reasons to believe that he was disqualified. He was an orphan, a murderer, and most likely had a speech impediment. Yet, Moses was NOT disqualified from the call that God had on his life. God wanted his availability more than his ability. His path to redemption came as he learned to rely on the power and faithfulness of God.

Hezekiah was a king who loved God and tried to follow Him. But even people who love God can be tempted to trust the world more than God. When attacked by Assyria, Hezekiah thought that he could buy his way out of trouble. But He soon learned that prayer and reliance on God was his path to real redemption.