The Story:A man has to be willing to work if he wants to prosper in life. The Law of God commands men to labor for six days of every week, working at a variety of tasks in order to exercise stewardship over their resources and opportunities. Evidently Rehoboam was thinking that being king wasn’t really a matter of work. The king gets others to work for him; his job us simply to enjoy the benefits of being king. Rehoboam would find out soon enough that being King of Israel was hard work. Solomon’s counsel in this verse is for Rehoboam to seek the good of the nation by every means, and that would mean a life of hard work – founded on trust in God, Who knows everything and does all things well.

The Structure:In our day work is viewed in various ways: necessary evil, source of self-actualization, a way to contribute to the economy, or the means to becoming wealthy. But the work we’ve been given to do is greater than the job at which we work. We must work at our marriages, raising our children, caring for our property, participating in the political life of our community, serving in our local church, investing for the future, nurturing friendships, and more. If we invest all our best energies in our job, then other crucial areas entrusted to us will not be as fruitful as God intends. The wise person will accept all the work God has given him to do with gratitude, and labor at it continuously, seeking the good that comes to all from his labors.

How hard do you work at things other than your job? Is your job draining away crucial areas of strength and vitality from your marriage? Your work at church?

Each week’s studies in our Scriptorium column are available in a free PDF form, suitable for personal or group use. For this week’s study, “Think of the Days Ahead: Ecclesiastes 11,” simply click here.

T. M. Moore

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved