Prayer

Heavenly Father, as I come once again to your word on this new day, I give thanks to you for the gift of life. I am sorry that I have not maintained a constant state of thanksgiving in my heart, for you have treated me abundantly better than I deserved. Please help me to get wisdom, please give to me the gift of wisdom, especially that I may rightly fear you through submission to your holy law. Help me to walk in your will, to discern your will, and to fully submit to you in every way. Please continue to reveal to me the unsubmissive areas of my heart, and lead me in the way everlasting. To you be all glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reading

Proverbs 1:7.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge...”

Meditation

A sixth implication of fearing God is that we are called to submit to God. Let me take you straight back to Pr 8:13 for another insight: “The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.” This verse is saying that you can’t fear God and entertain evil at the same time. It’s a complete contradiction. If you’re willingly sinning, by definition you’re not fearing God and are therefore being foolish. In other words, we cannot have the fear of God without also obeying God. Thus in Proverbs 3:7 we read: “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.” Psalm 112:1 also paints this very clearly: “Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments!” We see the link in these two passages between fearing God and submitting to God’s commandments.

Be ye doers of the word…

This meditation brings a very serious consideration before each one of us. We must each one ask ourselves: Am I submitting to the will of God? In any decision I’m making, is there any area where I’m unwilling to submit to his will? Is there any secret evil in my life that I am clinging to and embracing? Another important question is: How do we know the revealed will of God? The simple answer is that we must know God’s word, we must be careful students of the Bible. As we study his word, we must then prayerfully eradicate any attitude of unwillingness or practice that is counter to what he would have us do. True, the flesh is weak and we sin much. But there is such a thing as willful stubbornness and resistance to the will of God – that is the essence of foolishness. We must rather fear the LORD and turn away from evil. A continuing study of the Book of Proverbs will be greatly instructive toward that end. SDG.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Dear Lord God, there have been many areas in my life where I have held strongholds of devotion to sin over the years. I am daily tempted to embrace and treasure sin. Please forgive me for my willful refusal to submit to you, and please search my heart and know me, see if there be any wicked way within me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Please help me to abound more and more in the knowledge of your revealed will, and may it be my food and drink to embrace and do your will. Save me, Lord, I am yours. Amen.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, all glory and thanks be to you for this new day. I do not know what this day may have in store, but I bless you for this gift. Whether trial or joy, you do all things well. Please help me, Lord, to be wholly dedicated unto you, consecrated and purified by Christ’s blood, and dedicated to serve and worship you in spirit and in truth. I pray that you may unite my heart to truly fear your name. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Reading

Proverbs 1:7.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge...”

Meditation

A fifth aspect of fearing God is that in our fear of God we ought to be moved to imitate him. Imitation follows on the heels of admiration, so this is a logical inference from our previous meditation. When we admire someone, or at least see something admirable about them, something inside of us wants to be like them, and to some extent we naturally begin to imitate them. Children have a natural tendency to imitate their parents. They will copy phrases and mannerisms, often showing interest in many of the same kinds of things. The New Testament confirms and expresses this explicitly as Paul calls us to imitate Christ (1 Cor 11:1). So also the Lord Jesus instructs us to be holy as God is holy, which is imitation (Mt 5:48).

Be ye doers of the word…

The Book of Proverbs is a book showing us how to imitate God by revealing to us his mannerisms and tastes on a human level, as it were. Consider Proverbs 8:13 as an example: “The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.” Now think about that: to fear the LORD is to hate evil. In other words, to fear God is to have our hearts shaped to reflect God’s heart, to be formed in accordance with what he loves and hates. That’s imitation – to fear God is to imitate, to image God. As we study the book of Proverbs, we will be trained in righteousness in this way, trained to conform to the character of God. What higher motivation could we find to motivate us to give our attention to this book? The book of Proverbs holds out great promise to us indeed!

More generally, we ought always to read scripture with the aim of seeking to grow in our knowledge of God. What is he like? We must seriously pursue theological study, in the power of the Holy Spirit, that we may have before our minds the pattern of his holiness for our imitation. Does this kind of serious study characterise your life? If not, you have much growth yet to make in the fear of the Lord. Let me encourage and exhort you to begin today! SDG.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Gracious God,

we confess that when we consider imitating you,

Lord,

there's a lot left to be desired in our lives.

We pray as we pursue consistent,

steady instruction in your word and growth in the knowledge of you.

Lord, that by your Spirit's illuminating,

life-changing,

transforming presence,

that you would open the eyes of our hearts,

that by faith we may see your glories and we may be moved in our desire to imitate you.

And out of the transformation of our hearts, we may take consistent daily actions.

in pursuit of our imitation of you.

May you mercifully help us in this.

We pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for all wisdom belongs to you.

Lord, as we open your word again, especially this book of wisdom, O Lord, may you

Unite our hearts to fear your name.

Lord, renew our hearts, renew our minds, lead us in your ways.

Bless us and help us that we may serve you as we ought to.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Reading

Proverbs 1:7.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge...”

Meditation

A fourth aspect of fearing God is admiration for God. Consider these words from Psalm 96:1-4: “Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.” There is an inseparable link between fearing God and worshiping God.

Allow me to use an illustration to make this more clear. If a land is ruled by a good king, as they are in all the best stories, that king will be admired by his people. Because he rules justly and fairly, he wins the hearts of the people. This is a small-scale picture of how it is with God. As we acknowledge him, revere him, trust him, and come to know who he truly is, we cannot help but to admire and worship him. In Hebrews 12:28 we thus read: “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe”.

Be ye doers of the word…

Do you adore God? If you have never much admired God, delighted in God, and adored God, then the very best case scenario is that you are extremely immature in the fear of God. The application is clear and simple: seek to know God. Pray and ask that he might give you wisdom, and that also he might show you his glory. Pray that he might show you more and more who he is, as the Apostle Paul prays for the Christians in Ephesus: “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” (Eph 1:16-17). We need to have our hearts and minds expanded with a vision of God, to see more and more of who he is – that we may more and more admire him. Search for such knowledge in the scriptures like hidden treasures. Read books on theology and the attributes of God. Pray that you come more and more to truly fear God as you grow in admiration of him and in your desire to worship him. SDG.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Lord, I confess that when it comes to knowing you, my neglect has been vast. I have not dedicated myself to growing in the knowledge of you as I ought. And as well as being to the detriment of your kingdom on earth, it has been to the great loss of my joy and delight as well. There is nothing greater than to know you. And yet has my life reflected that truth? Forgive me, Lord. I pray that you would help me to grow indeed in the knowledge of you, and with great zeal. To read and to study your word, and to use the great and many helps through the teachers of the Church that you have provided – Lord help me to abound and grow in great abundance. And Lord I pray that as I seek you, that it may not be a fruitless seeking, but that day-by-day your glorious image in Christ would be renewed in me and shine all the brighter. I pray these things, in the dear name of the Lord Jesus, my Saviour. Amen.

Prayer

Our Lord and our God, we give praise and thanks to you. You are our God, our maker, and our shepherd and our keeper. Lord, we thank you for the gift of life and for the instruction that you provide for us in your word. We pray as we give our attention again to your word now. Please help us, Lord, to be doers of the word, to respond to what we hear, to understand and to practice your will. We thank you for your mercies to us in Christ and we ask, may you forgive us for our sins and lead us in your ways. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Reading

Genesis 2:.

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

Meditation

Work is far bigger than you can actually imagine. It’s comprehensive. What I mean by that is that this task of dominion, this calling to work and keep the garden, is actually a calling to fill everything. There’s no place on earth which will be excluded, no aspect of human life that is irrelevant. When God made the world, he filled it with a potential that we can barely even begin to imagine. For those of us who were alive in 1995, who could have guessed what our phones would be capable of doing in 2024? And God wants us to develop all of it.

As we studied verses 10 through 14 previously, we saw the way that the river flowing from Eden gives us a picture of life itself flowing out from Eden to water the whole earth. This principle carries over into our work as well. As we discover, unpack, and fill the world with godly industry and work, his blessing, excellence, and glory will expand. Whether it’s Luther’s shoe maker, or a musician, an engineer, a teacher, or an artist. Be it building or farming, law-making or boat making, whether it’s mothering or gardening, building space ships or micro chips. Whether it’s designing new apps, or launching new businesses, running a side business or pursuing a hobby. Be it serving in church or hospitality. Worshipping God, labouring to go deeper into his word, all of life belongs to God and he calls us to work in all of it. Whether we are men, women, or children, work is comprehensive.

In the words of Abraham Kuyper, there is not a square inch in all of creation where Christ does not say: “Mine!” It’s all his, and he calls us to develop it, to serve with it, and to multiply it. He calls us to see it grow and flourish, to push the boundaries further and further. He wants to see his world grow, he wants to see every single area of life sing back his praises, reflect of his own glorious design. And in our work we get to take part in this plan! Six days shall you labour and do all your work… as Dr Del Tackett, I believe, once said: “You get to work!”

And what will become of all this? As we read in Isaiah 11:9: “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” That’s a wonderful vision isn’t it?

Be ye doers of the word…

As we consider the practical implications of this, there is a tragedy of first importance that we need to realise: Adam failed. When the time came for him to step up to the plate, to work and keep the garden, he failed. He abdicated his calling and, as a result, he became a selfish, sinful shadow of what he was supposed to be. Death then entered the scene, and the fruit that was supposed to fill the earth was choked by thorns and thistles. The garden that was so rich and fertile became a wilderness and the ground was cursed. Man’s labour became harsh and hard. His life, which was designed to flourish eternally, became short and brutish.

But the good news is that the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, didn’t fail. In John 5:17 Jesus said: “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”” Adam was meant to begin that work so that life could flourish in the world, but because of his disobedience he instead brought death. When Christ came to serve, however, he undid death. Through his work on the cross, he restored life again. The original purpose for life to flourish and flow eternally was restored through Christ, and the cursed tree of the cross became a new tree of life for the healing of all the nations.

As you go about your work, then, you must never forget this: that all our work is what it is because of Christ’s work. Even as we do our work each day, we rest in Christ’s work on our behalf. Our work and all its fruit is a gift from him who did all the work that was necessary for us to live. The work that we couldn’t do for ourselves, obedience to the law of God, he did. We do still fail as Adam did, but we no longer labour under the futility of Adam’s failure. We now work in the certainty and blessing of Christ’s accomplishments. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

As you then follow Christ, know that he will reward your work. Do you ever feel under appreciated? Do you feel like you’re pouring yourself out, and no one is noticing? God notices, and he will reward you. SDG.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Lord and God, thank you for the wonders of this world that you've made, and thank you for the calling that you've given us to work in this world. Lord, we pray that you'd help us to see every area of our lives under your reign and rule. Lord, if there are areas in our lives that we have previously not considered, help us to pause and reflect and understand how it is that we may serve you in these areas. Lord, help us to be wholly dedicated to you. Our sinful nature wages war against our hearts. Please deliver us, strengthen and help us that we may serve, honour and glorify you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Reading

Genesis 2:15.

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

Meditation

Of the numerous popular songs of the Australian rock band Powderfinger, “Not my kinda scene” was definitely up there. Get on YouTube and listen to the song sometime, but at least for now let me give you the opening words:

“Tell me where I'mSupposed to beginAn unhappy life workingSome kind of dead end jobFor everything you thought you hadHas gone from worse to bad.”

These words express a sentiment typical of many people. Work is a drudgery, a necessary evil. Even Christians can tend to define work in terms of the curse in Genesis 3. In one sense, yes, there are many thorns and thistles in our work because of the fall. In spite of this, however, we need to realise that work in its basic nature is a blessing. Work was instituted before the fall. It’s not a curse, it’s a blessing, and it ought not to be a drudgery to us.

In an earlier meditation we’ve already seen to some extent how work will be a blessing: as we serve others, our work will be a blessing to them. A well made pair of shoes is a blessing to those who have them. Building on that, we need to also see that this blessing is more significant still. So here’s my message for you in this meditation: work is a blessing because work is fruitful. Let’s unpack this a little.

The fruitfulness of work ties back in to our question of the relationship between work and life. Work is one of the God-appointed means through which life will flourish. I’ve been trying to say here that work is fruitful, byt why do I say that? Well, you tell me, what happens when a man works and keeps his garden? I’ll tell you what happens – fruit grows! In Psalm 128:1 “Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.” The fruit of our labour will be a blessing to ourselves and others. Even more importantly, it will be a source of life.

I’ve said in earlier meditations that God will fill the earth with life in three ways: through service, wisdom, and relationships. Our focus here is service. So then, this is how service, or work, fills the earth with life. In the big picture sense, service and work bears fruit, and fruit enables life to flourish. That’s true in the most basic sense because there’s a fundamental relationship between working, eating, and living. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” How does God provide for life to grow? He gives man work, and as the man works he provides food for his family, and thus his family is sustained and enabled to live. Similarly, this is why 1 Timothy 5:8 says “if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” He has denied the faith because he is going against one of the most fundamental and basic blessings that God has given: the blessing of fruitful work. Life flourishes as man works because man’s work is fruitful.

This principle starts with gardening and farming (i.e. we need food). It is a basic necessity in every household (i.e. we need to work so that we can eat). It starts there, but this principle then also extends outward. As a man works, the fruit of his labour allows life to develop and flourish even more. That’s what technology, for example, does. You might not grow carrots as a farmer, but as a doctor your work will still nourish life. As an artist, your work will enrich the beauty of life. As a mechanic, your work will enable life to excel and grow through transport. As a computer technician, you will equip people with better and more powerful tools to see life expand in new and exciting ways. So then, all of our work – not just the work of farmers – bears fruit, blesses others, and is a means through which life can expand and fill the earth.

Be ye doers of the word…

Death presents a basic problem for us when it comes to work and the flourishing of life. No matter how hard we work, death creeps up on us, and the fruitfulness of life slowly fades away. We cannot work to give ourselves life, ultimately, because we remain under the curse of death. The only way that the blessing of work can truly be restored to a proper and functioning place is through Christ. The blessing of work is restored through Christ.

The curse of death actually means that much work is unfruitful, and much is actually not life-giving, but death-bringing. Consider the industry of pornography, for example. That is an industry that brings death to all that it touches. In Ecclesiastes 2:18 we read: “I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.”

In a fallen world, death has the final say, and so the life that work is intended to bring is stopped in its tracks. But through Christ, this vanity and vexation is defeated at last. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, that great chapter on Christ’s resurrection, we read: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” As believers we now know our work is not futile but it will bear fruit that lasts. Colossians 3:23 says: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.”

So then, remember that in your work, as you serve others, as you work diligently, as you pursue excellence, as a Christian it’s not in vain. Work as unto the Lord, and your work will bear fruit that lasts eternally as God graciously rewards you for it in the fullness of time. Work as unto the Lord! SDG.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I praise you and I thank you for a new day of life. Lord I pray that you would meet with me once again today to strengthen and feed me from your word. Without you, Lord, I will perish body and soul. I live only by the word that proceeds out of your mouth, and so I pray – please feed me from your word O Lord. Nourish and strengthen my soul, please give me wisdom according to my need for the day. My hope is in you, and my help is in you. Please extend your kingly rule in my heart today, and subdue my passions unto your will. Please renew my mind, and reveal to me your will – and so work in me to will and to do that which you desire. I ask these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reading

Proverbs 1:7.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge...”

Meditation

A third aspect of fearing the Lord is that we should trust in him. In Proverbs 3:5-7 we read: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.” If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and wisdom trusts God (Pr 3:5), then trusting God is certainly an aspect of fearing him. We see the link here between trusting God and fearing God even more clearly in Psalm 115:11, which says: “You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.”

What does it mean to trust in God? First, it means to believe in his word. God is the source of all wisdom, and he gives us that wisdom through his word by his Spirit, as the psalmist says: “Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.” So also in 2 Timothy 3:15, where Paul says to Timothy: “from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Trusting God means firstly that we trust in his word.

Be ye doers of the word…

There is much that could be said to expand this theme, and doubtless there will be opportunity as our studies in Proverbs unfold. But we might at least touch upon the heartbeat of what it means to trust in God. Here is what I think to be the preeminent application when it comes to trusting the Lord: trust God for your salvation. A central aspect of trusting God is that it is exercised in the reception of salvation and life. Again, revisiting 2 Timothy 3:15 we read: “from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” The scriptures make us wise – unto salvation. To trust in God is to believe God unto salvation. It is to confess our sin to God, to ask for his forgiveness, and to believe him when he promises not to hold our sins against us any more. Those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, will be saved, but those who do not believe are condemned already.

Furthermore, do not trust yourself. Proverbs 28:26 says: “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” Lean not on your own understanding. Wisdom learns to constantly question our own judgment, and instead to constantly seek to understand and trust in God’s judgment as revealed in his word. Christians should have an unquestionable loyalty to the word of God – no matter what the cost. SDG.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Lord I thank you that you are all together trustworthy. Please forgive me for the times when I have not trusted you out of my own fear, or when I have trusted myself out of a misplaced arrogance and pride in my own judgment. Please help me, Lord, to trust you in all things and in every way. I thank you that you are the God of my salvation. I trust you, Lord. Please help me to grow in my trust in you, that my heart be fully fixed in perfect peace as I look to you to supply all my needs, and as I look to your word for all my direction and guidance. All praise be to you, my Lord and my God, faithful and true, altogether trustworthy. Praise be to you O Lord. I commit my way into your hands this day, please go before me and direct me, protect me, guide me, and fill me with your wisdom. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Prayer

Our gracious God, we thank you for the gift of life and for the gift of work.

We pray as we open your word now that you would renew our minds,

give us understanding,

and help us to live more and more in accordance with your design for the gift of work.

We pray for your help in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Reading

Genesis 2:15.

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

Meditation

Work is, by God’s design, supposed to be service. Not self-serving, but an opportunity to serve others. The Hebrew word for “work” in verse 15 can be translated as “serve” or “work.” The two concepts are actually very closely related. In verse five we see that the ground needed a man to work it and, as we saw back in chapter one, man was to have dominion over the creatures and the earth. An essential aspect of dominion, therefore, is that man was called to serve. This is why Christ, the only perfect man, and the fulfillment of masculinity, came “not to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45).

The fundamental nature of work, the reason God gave us the gift of work, is to serve God and others. When God created the world in six days, a basic aspect of his work was that he worked to provide a blessing for all his creatures (thus it was that he “blessed them”). Man, created in the image of God, is then called to serve in the same task, continuing that task as history unfolds (except, of course, on a human level rather than a divine level). Man’s work, just like God’s work, is a work of service to others. Work is service.

It’s extremely important that we understand this and imprint it in our hearts. Maybe we need to change the kind of language we use to describe our work. Maybe we say: “I don’t have a job, I have service.” It’s not your occupation (which is a benign sounding thing), it’s your calling to serve. Work is fundamentally designed to function as a service to others. God gave the man strength so that he could pour that strength out through his work to the benefit other people. Just as God himself pours out of his infinite life and goodness for the benefit of his creation and people.

Notice that what we’re talking about here is really alien to the world. The general ethos of the world is that you work to make money for yourself. You work to get as far ahead as you can, to advance your career, to take care of your needs, and that often at the cost of others. But God did not give us the gift of life and work so that we could prioritise ourselves and be selfish. He gave us this gift so that we could work as a blessing and give to others. Contrary to the ideology of socialism, capitalism doesn’t fail because private property is wrong. To the contrary, private property is God’s design (as we see in the 8th Commandment). Capitalism is not the problem, it’s the blueprint. The problem is the sinful, selfishness of the fallen human heart. Corporate greed is a result of this fundamental selfishness. Capitalism doesn’t abuse people, people abuse people. So then we as Christians that work is not about selfishness, it’s about servant-ness. Work is service.

When you think about it, this actually makes a whole lot of sense. Which businesses are the ones that tend to get ahead? They’re ones who prioritise customer service – they produce something excellent that benefits other people. They prioritise the needs of others, and they meet a need in the marketplace. So also when a business takes care of customers, they get good reviews on google. You excel in the marketplace when you meet a need effectively. The Christian shoemaker from Luther’s example, as he makes excellent shoes, those shoes will be a blessing to the person who buys them. He won’t cut his feet, he will be comfortable as he walks, and he will recommend that shoe maker to other people.

I bought a leather pair of shoes when my second son was born, they lasted over six years with regular use. I spent $170 on those shoes, and I constantly marveled at how well they lasted. They were good shoes. People notice excellence in work, and they notice when someone is serving others well. Proverbs 22:29 says: “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.”

Be ye doers of the word…

The application from this meditation in scripture is plain: work to serve others. Whatever your work is, whether you’re a builder, a baker, or a candlestick maker, ask yourself: How can I serve others with my work? How can I bless them? And as you bless them you will find personal satisfaction (it’s more blessed to give than to receive), and you will bring glory to God. This is a fundamental shift in thinking compared to worldly thinking. The world does not fundamentally or typically view work as service, but we should. As our view on this is changed, we will actually start to live that out. Serving others with our work, pouring ourselves out to do good to them, that will be a witness to this world. That will be Christ’s likeness displayed before this world. Again, let us turn to Mark 10:45 Jesus said: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.”

As you serve others in your work, sincerely, and diligently, and from the heart, you will be imaging Christ to them. So then see your work, whether it’s working in the home and raising children, or in your vocation, or in the church, whatever things God has called you to do, see your work as service to others. If you are young, or a parent of the young, you must learn and teach them to learn to think about your/their careers in this way. Young people: think about what gifts and abilities you have been given, and think about how you can use those abilities to serve others. And, of course, ask your parents and elders, and other trusted friends, for advice on that. May God help and enable us as we seek to serve others with our work! SDG.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Heavenly Father, we confess to you that we have used our work very often in a self-serving way.

Please help us,

Lord,

to see our work in every respect as an act of service to you and to other people

that we may glorify you in the way that we go about our work.

We thank you for your mercies and we ask for your help in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I give all praise and thanks to you. In wisdom you have established all your works, and you have done all things well. I praise you for your love, the greatness of your mercy, compassion, and patience is boundless toward me. I praise you for your jealous love, and that with you abides no evil – even unto the discipline of your children. In faithfulness you have done them all. I lay myself before your feet, and I ask that you would fill me with strength and wisdom to walk in your ways. I can do nothing without you. Strengthen me according to your word. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Reading

Proverbs 1:7.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge...”

Meditation

The fear of the Lord begins with acknowledging God, but it also includes having reverence for God. Psalm 24:21 provides a good example of this aspect of the fear of God: “My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise”. The relationship between fear and the LORD’s kingly office draws this out. One does not run in mortal terror from their king, though in the wrong circumstances they might be in mortal danger from him. One swears fealty to him, and shows reverence and respect toward him.

The Apostle Peter does something similar in 1 Peter 2:17, when he says: “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” Again, the ideas being associated with fearing God here include showing honour to others, and so revering God, standing in awe of him, and respecting him are all folded up in the idea of fear. When you look at the stormy ocean crashing on a rocky shoreline, it’s an awesome sight, and you begin to understand how immense and powerful it is in comparison to us who are small and powerless. As we consider the stars and the magnitude of the universe, and we realise that God spoke it into existence, there ought to be awe and reverence in our attitude toward him.

Be ye doers of the word…

The application here is very clear: treat God with reverence. Hebrews 12:28 says “let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” This is a very clear statement on the aspect of fearing God that we’re talking about here. When Nadab and Abihu came before God without reverence, seeking to worship in a way that he had not commanded, they were consumed by fire. God is not to be taken lightly, he is not to be treated flippantly, he is a consuming fire, and unless he saves us, we are all as kindling for the flame. “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling, Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Ps 2:11-12). Kissing the son is a sign of reverence, submission, respect, and honour. This is what it means to fear the LORD.

How ought this reverence to express itself in our daily lives? Our language of God ought to be reverential. We ought not to speak flippantly of him, and we ought not to be party to any speech that is not worthy of him. Our conduct also ought to be submissive to him. Israel of old paid lip service to God with their words, in Isaiah 29:13 the LORD indicted them: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men”. Herein is the heart of the matter: Where is our heart toward God? Is he far from us? Far from our affections and thoughts? Out of the heart the mouth speaks, and out of the heart the hand moves. Do we sincerely take his word seriously? Our response to his word in heart, speech, and deeds, is an excellent barometer as to whether or not we truly fear him. SDG.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Lord God most High, I confess that I have not feared you as I ought to have done. What can I say? I feel like Job who must put his hand on his mouth and be silent. Please Lord, we bow our hearts before you, and I ask for your transforming help and power that I may truly fear you as I ought to. I’m sorry that I have not revered you as I ought to have done, and I have received just recompense for my ways – and yet you have spared me the recompense I deserve. I have not received the half of discipline and punishment that I deserved, or any punishment. You have been abundantly kind and good to this poor, weak, pride-filled sinner. Lord, please meet me in my weakness, and make me to be a servant who is truly filled with reverence for you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Prayer

Our Lord and our God, we thank you for the world that you've made and for the constant supply of good things that you give to us. Lord, we pray as we live this day that you've given to us.Be merciful to us. Forgive us and help us. Lord, we pray as we begin to consider this topic of work, that you would help us to see our work, our vocations, from your perspective, that we may honour you in all that we do. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Reading

Genesis 2:15.

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

Meditation

What do you do for work? In the average lifetime of someone who works a full career, that person will spend about one third of their life working. That is a significant chunk of the time that you have on this earth! One third of your life. If you’re a home-maker, I daresay that your work is an even larger portion of that time. Here’s another question to think about: Why do you work? What is the purpose of that third of your life? Why do we do it? What will we achieve through it?

For many people in the world today, work is seen as a necessary evil and a drudgery. From a biblical perspective, and even from a practical perspective, it’s an absolute tragedy that people live like that. Who wants to spend one third of their lives on something that they believe is a waste of time?

I actually think that even in the church we have taken on a lot of worldly thinking when it comes to our work, and as we explore this topic in Genesis 2 in the next few meditations, we’re going to begin by doing a bit of theological demolition work. As 2 Corinthians 10:5 puts it, we need to destroy a few lofty opinions that have been raised agains the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. Demolition and reconstruction is needed on our theology of work, and Genesis 2:15 gives us God’s original blueprint for a new building.

We’ve been seeing in our meditations on the Edenic narrative, that God’s purpose is for life to grow, flourish, and increase. In chapter 2:15-25, we begin to find out just exactly how that is going to happen. In a big picture sense, this section shows us that life will grow, flourish, and increase through service, wisdom, and relationships. Chapter 2:15 begins this by looking at service, or work.

Let me then give you the big picture of work now, before we dive down into more detail in later studies. Life will grow, flourish, and increase because life – by nature – is itself service. Life is service, and the very first thing we need to see about this service is that it is a gift from God. Work is not a drudgery, it is a gift from God! Verse 15 makes this clear: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

Work wasn’t something that we invented, it was part of God’s design for creation. God put man in the garden, and God gave man the task of working and keeping that garden. Straight away that goes head-on against what the world will tell you about work. People in the world work for all sorts of reasons: to make money, to pay the bills, to try and find meaning in life. As Christians we must begin with this basic view of work: that it is a gift from God.

Be ye doers of the word…

There is a simple point of application that flows out of this: treat your work as God’s gift. Now, the question is: How do we do that? Firstly, it means that we ought to be thankful for our work. Give thanks to God for your work regularly! Ecclesiastes 3:13 says: “everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.” Work is a gift of God’s common grace, and to be without work is to lack purpose, provision, and all manner of other things. Work is a blessing.

As believers, we ought not to be like the world which is thankless to God for the gift of work. Even more, we give thanks because our work is also redeemed by Christ. As Christians we have a fuller vision for work than the world can ever hope for outside of Christ. Our work will not disappear when we die, but will go on to bear fruit unto eternity. Indeed, Christ is with us in our work, which is why Ephesians 2:10 says: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” All the work of unbelievers is passing like the wind, as Ecclesiastes says, but our work in Christ will endure.

Secondly, serve God with your work. Seeing that work is a gift from God, we should self-consciously use our work to glorify and serve God. Thus we read in Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Our work is not separate from our faith, we must rather see our jobs as service to God. I don’t mean by that that our work is a mere platform for evangelism, as if the only reason you should get a degree in engineering is so that you can evangelise engineers. Your work isn’t just a platform for sharing the gospel, it’s a vocation for living the gospel.

Martin Luther once put it like this: ““The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.” Serving God in your work means you pursue excellence in what you’re doing. Each one of us should consider that: Do I pursue excellence in my work? Give thanks for your work, and serve the Lord with your work. These are the foundations of a seeing your work from God’s perspective. SDG.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Our Lord and our God, we pray that you would please forgive us for the negligence that we have exhibited in our work. Lord, we have not used the gift of work as we ought to. We have not thanked you for our work and we have not served you with our work. Lord, please forgive us for these sins and help us. Lord, to give thanks to you for the gift of work and to work hard in the things that we do, in service to you. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

Prayer

Dear Lord God, we thank you for the gift of life.

We thank you for your word which gives life to us and we pray as we read your word now that you would renew our minds and show us your ways. Please help us, Lord, to appreciate better the gift of life and to live life with your perspective and purposes.

We pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Reading

Genesis 2:10-14.

“A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11. The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12. And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13. The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14. And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.”

Meditation

God made life to grow. As we’ve seen in the narrative of Genesis, God wants to fill the earth with life, and that life – by nature – is meant to grow. In our passage today we have this imagery of a river flowing out of Eden. When I used to read this passage in the chapter, I always thought that it was kind of random. Why are there five verses telling us about these four rivers and the fact that there’s some gold and gemstones lying around? How is that useful or relevant for me to know? Well, as we’ll see, this is actually incredibly significant, and in the first place it’s significance is that it shows us that God made life to grow. Let me explain what I mean here.

To start with, it’s very important that we pay attention to one central fact, that being: water is life. We saw this back in verse five: “When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land…” There’s nothing growing in the land – why? Because there’s no water. God then provides that water in verse six, but he also goes on to provide another special water source of water in the garden. “A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers.” Without water, the garden would have dried up and become a waste land. In other words, water is life!

Building on this first insight, a second follows on from the text: Eden is a source of life. The text shows this to us in two ways. First: the river flows out of eden, and as that river went out it divided into four rivers and watered the whole region. In other words, the surrounding land received water and life from Eden. We also see that Eden is a source of life from the fact that God planted the tree of life there. He planted trees for food (v9), and he especially planted the tree of life to sustain Adam and Eve. God is therefore showing something very clear here: Eden is a source of life.

Adam was placed in the garden, a place of specific boundaries, but God’s design was for that garden to grow. The flowing rivers show us that life was supposed to flow out, expand, and fill the earth. If you need me to clinch the argument here, we need only to call back on Genesis 1:28, where Adam and Eve had been told explicitly to “fill the earth.” Eden is a source of life.

Now, with the shape and purpose of the text clear in our minds, let me lead you a bit further – because the Bible as a whole makes very good use of the seemingly pointless river imagery of these verses. True, although God designed the earth to be filled with life, death has now come to the earth through our sin. But that doesn’t mean that God has changed the plan. He still intends to fill the earth with his life, and to see life flourish and expand, but that plan is now realised through Christ. Here’s where things get even more amazing, let me show you.

In Isaiah 51:2 the prophet says:“Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.” Through Abraham, God promised that all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen 12:1-3). Isaiah explains the Abrahamic blessing using the imagery of Eden – the two are prophetically blended together! Now – that promised blessing of Abraham, in turn, would be fully realised through Christ, the true seed of Abraham (Gal 3:8). It sounds like a long-shot, but it’s fully true to say that the flowing waters life in Gen 2:10-14 are a prophetic picture of the flowing life of the gospel! That’s how Isaiah uses this imagery!

In Ezekiel 47 the prophet Ezekiel is given a vision of the Temple of God, and out of that Temple a river flows. That river gets deeper and wider, and it flows out into all the land and brings life – again a similar picture. Finally, in Revelation 22:1, we see the fulfillment of these verses: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” These rivers in Genesis 2:10-14 are not just some random geographical description, they’re a picture of life flowing out from the Garden of the Lord.

The garden was lost to us because of our sin, but Christ has made a way for us to come back to God again. Revelation 22:14 says “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” And, as Rev 7:14 says, our robes are washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. And so all this imagery of Eden – the tree of life and the rivers flowing out of eden to fill the world with life – it’s all a foreshadow and picture of Christ.

Be ye doers of the word…

Where does this all leave us? God has given us a dwelling place. It started with a beautiful garden, and even today the world remains a place of life and beauty. This is a place where we can dwell with him. The first Eden is gone, but paradise will be restored. In fact, paradise has been restored, because our life now flows from the tree where he was cursed for us. On the cross, Jesus shed his blood that we might live. In Romans 6:23 we read: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This gift is freely offered to all who will believe, and as we have believed, so we must remain. Without him we can do nothing. Without him we are like a branch withering. Stay near to Christ, abide in Christ, and at all times let his word abide in you. The Lord desires to have residence in the garden of our hearts. In Song 4:1 we thus read “Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful! Your eyes are doves behind your veil. How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed.” That’s the heart of Christ for his bride the church – to be with her. And how does the bride respond? “Let my beloved come to his garden.” Let that be the response of your heart this week. SDG.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Our Lord and our God, we pray that you'd help us to stay near to Christ. Lord, our hearts are barren ground unless you pour in the water and seed and cause life to grow within us. And Lord, may you do that and may you cause life to spill out from our lives and be a blessing and a source of life to others in their lives as well.

Please lead us, protect us and help us to serve you.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.