Sharpened
A fleck on His Sword
October 22, 2010
Do the Work
Marybeth Whalen
Several pages into the book I read today’s verse. Have you ever had a verse jump off the page at you? Well, this one did. I thought back to my frustration with the work I was facing earlier and felt God speak to me through this verse. Quit telling me how impossible the task is and just do the work, He said. Don’t forget I will show up each time. Not so you can boast about your abilities, but so you can boast in Me.
After my time on the treadmill, I raced downstairs to email a friend of mine who I had complained to earlier that day. I told her how the verse had ministered to me, and how I was going to simply do the work. She wrote back that she had been praying for God to speak to me about the task that was overwhelming me. I had a new motto as I recommitted to the task at hand: Do the work. Whenever I started to get discouraged or overwhelmed by the hugeness of the task, I reminded myself: Do the work—three little words that got me through one of the biggest challenges of my life. Perhaps you need to hear those three little words today.
Are you facing a challenge in your job? Do the work.
Does your marriage need to be rebuilt? Do the work.
Are you worried about your ability to be a good mother? Do the work.
Are you dealing with a personal hardship that just seems too big to overcome? Do the work.
Are you struggling with debt and financial issues? Do the work.
Do you want to eat healthier, commit to regular exercise or lose weight? Do the work.
Is there a dream that God has planted in your heart that seems too big for you? Do the work.
Make no mistake: sometimes the work will be hard. Note that our verse today didn’t say “Lay around and hope things get better.” The challenge we face is not in focusing on how hard the work is, but in seeking the God who has promised to show up as we work. We offer our best efforts and trust that He will multiply them. We will see Him supply the words, the resources, the energy, the time, the patience, the grace we need. But first we must do the work. Just like the priests had to first step into the water before the Jordan could part in Joshua 3:15-16, so we must begin working before we can see the solution appear.
What work do you need to start doing—or keep doing—no matter how discouraged or disheartened you feel? I pray that you will see Him at work on your behalf today as you do the work He has called you to do. Do the work, and He will be with you.
Dear Lord, help me to look to You and not to the hugeness of the work I have ahead of me. Help me not to be afraid or discouraged. I thank You for Your promise that You are with me and that You will not fail me or forsake me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Commentary
Today I have a devotion running on Proverbs 31's Encouragement For Today. Welcome if you are visiting after reading it!
I shared my story about how, when faced with tough edits for my first novel, I had to simply do the work and trust God to fill in my gaps and show up in the midst of my extreme need. I needed energy, wisdom, clarity and creativity. And He supplied it all. Honestly, when people tell me that they like the book, I feel that I did very little. Between God and my fantastically talented editor, the book got done!
It's interesting that this devotion is running as I am in the middle of another round of tough edits. (I write devotions far in advance so I have no idea what will run when.) With these edits, I've quickly reached the end of myself and had to lean on God all over again. I thought that my second set of edits would be easier... not so. This book is entirely different from Mailbox, and therefore it feels like writing my first novel all over again. This time God brought me to another verse in Chronicles. This one II Chronicles 20:17:
Do the Work
Marybeth Whalen
I pushed the computer aside, convinced that the task I was attempting was impossible. I couldn’t fathom completing the work I had ahead of me and I needed a mental break. Picking up a Christian book I was reading, I carried it upstairs to the treadmill, deciding to pound out my frustration and read at the same time. I had no idea I was about to have my own personal revival.
Several pages into the book I read today’s verse. Have you ever had a verse jump off the page at you? Well, this one did. I thought back to my frustration with the work I was facing earlier and felt God speak to me through this verse. Quit telling me how impossible the task is and just do the work, He said. Don’t forget I will show up each time. Not so you can boast about your abilities, but so you can boast in Me.
After my time on the treadmill, I raced downstairs to email a friend of mine who I had complained to earlier that day. I told her how the verse had ministered to me, and how I was going to simply do the work. She wrote back that she had been praying for God to speak to me about the task that was overwhelming me. I had a new motto as I recommitted to the task at hand: Do the work. Whenever I started to get discouraged or overwhelmed by the hugeness of the task, I reminded myself: Do the work—three little words that got me through one of the biggest challenges of my life. Perhaps you need to hear those three little words today.
Are you facing a challenge in your job? Do the work.
Does your marriage need to be rebuilt? Do the work.
Are you worried about your ability to be a good mother? Do the work.
Are you dealing with a personal hardship that just seems too big to overcome? Do the work.
Are you struggling with debt and financial issues? Do the work.
Do you want to eat healthier, commit to regular exercise or lose weight? Do the work.
Is there a dream that God has planted in your heart that seems too big for you? Do the work.
Make no mistake: sometimes the work will be hard. Note that our verse today didn’t say “Lay around and hope things get better.” The challenge we face is not in focusing on how hard the work is, but in seeking the God who has promised to show up as we work. We offer our best efforts and trust that He will multiply them. We will see Him supply the words, the resources, the energy, the time, the patience, the grace we need. But first we must do the work. Just like the priests had to first step into the water before the Jordan could part in Joshua 3:15-16, so we must begin working before we can see the solution appear.
What work do you need to start doing—or keep doing—no matter how discouraged or disheartened you feel? I pray that you will see Him at work on your behalf today as you do the work He has called you to do. Do the work, and He will be with you.
Dear Lord, help me to look to You and not to the hugeness of the work I have ahead of me. Help me not to be afraid or discouraged. I thank You for Your promise that You are with me and that You will not fail me or forsake me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Commentary
Today I have a devotion running on Proverbs 31's Encouragement For Today. Welcome if you are visiting after reading it!
I shared my story about how, when faced with tough edits for my first novel, I had to simply do the work and trust God to fill in my gaps and show up in the midst of my extreme need. I needed energy, wisdom, clarity and creativity. And He supplied it all. Honestly, when people tell me that they like the book, I feel that I did very little. Between God and my fantastically talented editor, the book got done!
It's interesting that this devotion is running as I am in the middle of another round of tough edits. (I write devotions far in advance so I have no idea what will run when.) With these edits, I've quickly reached the end of myself and had to lean on God all over again. I thought that my second set of edits would be easier... not so. This book is entirely different from Mailbox, and therefore it feels like writing my first novel all over again. This time God brought me to another verse in Chronicles. This one II Chronicles 20:17:
I have copied the verse on an index card and read it every morning during my quiet time. I let the words pour over me, reminding and reassuring me that God is in this, just as He was before. I will not have to fight this battle either. I will have to do the work-- taking up my position, as this particular verse indicates-- but God will be with me. Knowing He is fighting on my behalf is very comforting as I endeavor to do the best job I can.
