“Labor with God”

Happy Friday Everyone. 😀

One of my favorite prayers to recite before a meal is: “Lord, thank You for the food we’re about to receive for the nourishment of my body.” I know though I toil it’s God that actually provides the sustenance. You know, back in the day Israel was an agrarian civilization, which means the vast majority of people were farmers and everyone counted on having a good harvest from year to year. They had a very joint philosophy and their calendar revolved around festivals in honor of the wonders God had done. When they ate and drank together their enjoyment was mostly from their labor because it was the food they planted, harvested, processed and prepared. They were intimately involved in the food process from start to finish, but it relied on the hand of God to offer favorable conditions. To us in today’s society, our work can seem much less fulfilling because we work in a culture that’s basically automated or A.I.. We often hardly understand the processing methods of the food we buy because it’s wrapped in plastic, canned, jarred, bottled, etc. and grown thousands of miles away from our homes. And yet, if we take a step back, we can see, like the writer of this passage, that we can find enjoyment in our labor when we remember what James 1:17 says: “every perfect gift is from above…” Labor with God in our life is a great thing.