Opening Prayer
God, establish the work of our hands. Amen. (Psa. 90:17)
Text: Second Thessalonians 3:7-13
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.
Devotion
The weariness of earthly work is a curse on us humans because of sin. Yet God’s wisdom and mercy has made it into a blessing for us Christians. “Idle hands are the devil’s helpers.” If you work in your vocation with Christian attitude, then the work is good for subduing the flesh, but strengthening the spirit; taming the lusts of the flesh, but refreshing the noble powers in the soul; chasing away brooding and idle thoughts, but nourishing joy and expectations. At the same time it seasons your food, rocks you sweetly to sleep in the evening, and helps to soothe your many pains. You don’t know what a wonderful thing God has given you in toilsome work. You should hold on to it with both hands, cultivate it with unbroken faithfulness, rejoice in it, and thank God for it.
The most important thing, however, is to do your work with faith in your heart. You are a child of God, a believer, and all that you have in your hands belongs to Him; you are always in His house and continually in His service. You freely give your children what they need, and when they work and do something useful, then they do it as your children now without claim on reward and they serve you gladly, yes, happily. So are you and I with the Lord, our God. We have received everything out of His fatherly goodness and live continually from it; everything belongs to us, and we rule over it as much as is useful to us. And so we should work in our vocations and bear our daily burden: not to earn our bread from our heavenly Father, but to do His will and to fulfill our place among His children as well-pleasing to Him and useful to mankind; not as servants, but with thankful and joyful attitudes as those who have everything good with Him as a result of the rights of being God’s children in Christ and who live in hope of eternal glory.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, give us childlike faith and obedience in everything, and make our bitter work sweet by grace in our dear Lord Jesus. How surely and how well You have ordered all things! Even the curse that we brought upon ourselves You have changed to blessing for Your poor children. Let us always be with You, dear heavenly Father. Grant us to eat, drink, work, and rest in Your house as Your children and heartily to thank You for everything. And finally when evening comes and we grow weary, then give us a part in the Sabbath rest that is waiting for Your people; receive us into Your heavenly joy. Amen.
Hymn
O pray and work, be not distressed,
Though you be begging, digging;
For honesty is always best,
Its own reward then bringing;
But fortune gained of flesh and sin,
It must be said is very thin,
Its teeth e’er deeper gnawing.
With gold and goods once gained by sin
The fires of hell are waking;
The conscience troubles us within,
Peace from our heart soon taking;
Their heritage fades quickly now
But honest bread with sweaty brow
Tastes like true living manna.
Landstad: Hvor ilde dog af Synds Begjær L 499:2-3 tr. DeGarmeaux;
tune: Ach Gott vom Himmel (ELH 440); alternate hymn: Come unto Me, ye weary ELH 413