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Bringing In the Sheaves - The Work of the Lord

by Jerry Ousley  
10/31/2009 / Christian Living


No one really likes work. That's because real work is something we have to do when we'd rather be doing something else. Some people work very hard physically while others are privileged to work with their minds. Still, when it comes right down to it, most of us would rather be spending that work time doing what brings us pleasure. For instance, there are a lot of ministers, doctors, and other professional people, who do most of their work with their minds and skills. What they would rather be doing is spending more time out on the golf course, chasing a little white ball around and getting exercise by walking, or working out in a gym. Then you have the people who work in a foundry, factory or perhaps in some sort of construction, physically stretching their muscles until they can't be stretched any more. These folks would much rather be curled up in a good recliner watching a football game or a good movie. The point is that most of us would rather be doing the opposite of what we are required to do.

I can't say that I like work anymore than the next guy. It's something that's been in me since I was a kid. I hated working in the garden, or mowing the grass (come to think of it, I'm still not real fond of those things). One day our Dad had my brother and me out working on our lane. We lived down a fairly long one from the road. During the spring when the ground had thawed from the cold winter, driving up and down the lane had caused some deep ruts in a few places and Dad wanted us to use a pick and shovel to level them off. It was now summertime and the ground was dry and seemed hard as a rock. It wasn't easy work at all.

We took a break and looked up to see the neighbor boy coming to investigate what we were up too. I was a big Tom Sawyer fan when I was a kid and I remembered the part of the book where Tom had tricked his friends into white washing a fence for him. I wondered if it would really work and quickly told my brother the plan before the neighbor boy got to us.

We went straight back to work whistling, talking and laughing like we were having the time of our lives. "What'cha up too?" he asked. "Oh, we're just having some fun leveling these ruts out is all." He laughed. "What do you mean fun? It looks like a whole lot of work to me." "Oh no," I said, "Not at all! Man this is the most fun we've had in a long time. Besides, there's nothing else to do is there?"

He thought about it, then came the moment we were hoping for, "Let me try" he asked. "I don't know; you've got to do it just right. Besides, I don't want to make you work up a sweat." "Awe, come on Jerry; let a guy have some fun too!" That was it! He had bought it hook line and sinker. We took a good long break as we "supervised" his work.

Working for the Lord is something entirely different. Sometimes it seems that what we do is all in vain. We put our best efforts forward and see very little results. Is it really worth it? The Bible says in Psalm 126:5-6, "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." This is the passage that inspired the hymn writer with that old song we've heard so many times "Bringing in the Sheaves." The scripture is talking about work that seems fruitless. It sometimes takes a long time to see the results. Our main job, regardless the method God has chosen for us, is to sow seed. In the days of old, the farmer walked his field with a large, heavy seed bag on his shoulder. He would reach in, grab a handful of seed and scatter it before him as he went. In those days they didn't have the modern machinery to cultivate like we have today so he and his work hands did it all the hard way Back-breaking work! It seemed fruitless. But the scripture is telling us to keep on doing what God has told us to do. It may cause us to shed tears. We may see others around us producing fruit and we may feel like failures. But keep on doing what God has told you to do and one day you will come in from the harvest rejoicing, bringing the fruit of your work the sheaves with you.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

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