I did not run or labor for nothing

Philippians 2:16 as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

I am sitting here watching the drama of the successful rescue of 33 miners from the San Jose mine in Chile and the return to the surface of the rescuers. It is a time for celebration and thanksgiving. Praise God through whom all things are possible.

We often labor endlessly and tirelessly at many tasks.  It can be a job that takes years to complete. Or it can be a project that we chip away it until it is finished.  We want to see results. We want to see the fruits of our labors. We can become impatient when we do not see results quickly. When we embark on a ministry project, or witnessing to those who are not believers, or other endeavors to serve the Lord we must keep one very important fact in mind. These things unfold on the Lord's timeline and not ours. We can toil away expecting to see quick results, become discouraged and give up even before the Lord is getting warmed up. We need to be more deliberate in discerning His will in prayer. And we need to stay in communication with the Lord through prayer. We serve the Lord to glorify Him. When we forget that we fall into the trap of pride. And Satan loves that trap to be sprung. He catches so many in that trap. Or in the trap of discouragement & depression. There are many ways to be trapped and one narrow path towards freedom. Psalm 27:13&14 remind us "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." It's a faith thing.

So, when we are going about scattering the seeds of the Gospel we must keep in mind that we are not in charge, we are not alone, we are the hands and feet and not the brains. The glory in what we do goes to the Lord. His will is what we seek to fulfill and not fill our own egos. We may never see what our labors brought about. That's okay. I know that when I serve the Lord that I did not labor for nothing. And that is good enough for me.

PRAYER: Father You are the boss, and we are the workers in the field. We sometimes become impatient in waiting to see the fruits of our labors in serving You. We forget who we are serving. Help us O God to stay the course. Pour out Your Spirit upon us that our faith may never sway us from bringing in the harvest. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Spirit. One God, now and forever. Amen