A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily prayers this week. The scripture is from our Sunday Service Bulletin for today as we conclude a multi-sermon series on vocation. Today’s message is on the “messiness” that sometimes accompanies our vocations.
Epistle Reading- Romans 8:22-30, English Standard Version (ESV)
“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Devotion: What do you do for a living? - Part 5
The previous four weeks we talked about how a vocation is more about who you are than what you do. We said that God loves all vocations [if they are not illegal, immoral, or unethical] because they in some way serve our fellow man. Did you ever have a bad day at work? Maybe you’ve seen the videos about a person trying to stock a huge display stack in the grocery store and a false move near the end of the effort, knocks over all the products. How about the forklift driver who does the same thing on a bigger scale in the warehouse, and knocks down floor to ceiling shelf after shelf in a domino effect? Maybe your IT systems failed and your back-ups were misplaced? A rival company wins your company’s contract renewal? Most of us folks that work or have had a vocation at one time have experienced this messy part of working for a living. Today’s epistle text provides us three encouraging thoughts to help us get through one of those bad times. 1- Verse 26, says the spirit is going to step in and work overtime to get us through it. 2- Verse 28 says all things work for good. 3- Verse 29 says God is conforming you to be in His image, meaning this is part of your sanctification pathway, you are to learn from this experience. The next time that you have a bad day can you try to have this thought? “This job is more about who I am than what I do”. Remember that God loves you and He has your back! With Him all things are possible.
We pray: “Lord, when times are bad, help me recognize your love and encouragement. Amen”