Today’s Devotion
Topic: Why Have You Been Standing Doing Nothing?
Text: Matthew 20: 1- 7
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.
“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’” Amen
Beloved, it may be true that some of us do not have the best of jobs. Others do but are forced to work with or under bosses who are difficult to please. So we hate our jobs and rather wish we were doing nothing.
However, have you considered that God has never intended that man be idle? Right from creation we are told of how, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to WORK IT and take care of it” (Gen 2: 15).
Our text for the day is a parable that also demonstrated how the Master went out from time to time just to identify idle hands and recruit them in His vineyard. This He did for three consecutive times.
When He met the last group of jobless men around 5pm, He asked them, “WHY HAVE YOU BEEN STANDING HERE ALL DAY LONG DOING NOTHING?” When they said it’s because no one had hired them yet, HE (the Master) did. Yes; He employed them even though the day was almost over; to demonstrate how important working with our own hands is to Him. Almost to say, it’s not the best to let a day pass us by without working.
Jesus put it best in John 9: 4 when He said, “As long as it is day, I must do the WORK of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”
Rise up therefore and thank God for your job. It doesn’t matter if you are employed or not. Just thank God that you are strong and are willing to do something with your hands. Now, pray concerning your job; ask for a great job if you are unemployed. If you are employed, pray for your superiors and colleagues. Ask for grace to be the best employee and colleague they ever had.
God is pleased when we are not idle. Therefore feel blessed and positive about your job even if it’s not the best around (by your standard). God will always elevate you in His time. He is your truest Employer and Reward! Never forget this!
