IT DOESN'T WORK - UNLESS YOU DO!
Ken Graydon


Proverbs 21:25  The craving of a lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to work
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Proverbs 18:9  One who is slack in his work is the brother to a vandal

ETERNAL shows us through the Tanakh that He values work - not only that, but that He works constantly on our behalf in the ongoing process of creation.

This is emphasised by the schedule that ETERNAL puts before us. "For six days you shall work but the seventh day is the Sabbath and you shall do no work."  When the Temple is re-built and we are in The Land all of the major feasts and festivals are designated as days on which no work is to be done.

If we are truly on this path of Tanakh truth then we are called to demonstrate our obedience. A significant part of that obedience is to be faithful and honest in the work we do. We work for six days - we do not work on the Sabbath. That is why the Sabbath is a delight, it is different to all of our other week days.

The blessings promised us under the covenant made with Abraham and enhanced through Moses and King David relate to blessings on the work we do. Abundant harvests, the right weather conditions, increasing flocks, growing families and landholdings. Nothing is stated that could give you the idea that ETERNAL owes you a living or that He intends to look after you while you laze away the days. The people called to serve ETERNAL worked at it constantly under very trying and dangerous conditions. Would you choose to be an Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah or Ezekiel? Are you ready to walk around naked, or cook your meals over animal dung or defy your king or president publicly, perhaps all of these and more?

Your life, your actions, demonstrate much more about your beliefs than your words do. What impression about the Tanakh truth does your life give to your family, your friends, your neighbours or other people you deal with? Do all of these people constantly ask you "how is it you are so blessed?" "Why do all these good things happen to you?" If not, you need to review your obedience to ETERNAL.

If you are not healthy enough to work - why have you not received healing? ETERNAL offers healing after genuine repentance. It may not be a one hundred percent physical healing [ETERNAL has His reasons] but certainly He will bring healing into your circumstances.

Do you imagine that you being unemployed somehow brings glory to ETERNAL?  It DOES NOT!

 If you are the only person, your age, your sex, your color, your faith who is working in your area - then you bring glory to ETERNAL. If you do your work honestly, with patience, with enthusiasm and care - then you may bring glory to ETERNAL. If the ideas you contribute at work [which you receive from ETERNAL as part of your prayer communication] make you different - then you can give glory to ETERNAL.

If, on the other hand, you sit at home expecting other people to feed and keep you while you think about ETERNAL then you have missed the fact that the Tanakh has 393 references to work and another 39 to labor.

Being a mother, at home, caring for children is, at least, a full-time job and one of the most important jobs a person could be blessed to have.

This calling is different. There is no professional 'ministry'. When you read what ETERNAL thinks and plans for the 'shepherds' you can see why not.  The groups you come across who are constantly asking for money have missed the point.  ETERNAL blesses what He chooses to bless. When the Temple is rebuilt and the Levites are in place doing their work then, they are to be supported through the tithes and offerings of the faithful. Until that time we are responsible for ourselves.

ETERNAL chooses to restrict Himself to the words and meanings of His Tanakh. He has spelled out the blessings of obedience and abundance. He has put in place a covenant and calls on us to keep Him in remembrance of His words. [He wants you to study the Tanakh so you know His words and can remind Him of them!]

Everything is in place waiting for you to activate your part of the blessings. IT DOESN'T WORK - UNLESS YOU DO


kennygee@bigpond.com