The Favor of the Lord

Psalm 90:17  "May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us.... yes, establish the work of our hands."

Psalm 90 is a prayer of Moses, a man of God. I don't think anyone would argue that Moses was a man of God. For all that God did through him and all he accomplished, near the end of his life he prays like this. I really enjoyed reading this prayer and it made me feel close to what Moses was feeling and how he was reaching out to God on behalf of the people even to the very end. Moses had a shepherd's heart. After all he had witnessed firsthand the Israelites wandering aimlessly in the wilderness for forty years and realizing the brevity of life he asks for favor and to do something valuable and lasting.

As for me, I want sincerely to make a difference. I want to count it all joy, the trouble and sorrows, the pain and suffering, the losses and mistakes. God grant us favor and may it rest upon us in such a way that what we do makes a difference. That is why physical work is so important. We need to be able to see with our eyes and touch with our hands the fruit of our labor. To experience the establishing of the work of our hands, makes labor meaningful.

I am not a craftsman, nor a skilled person in the trades. I can follow direction and am an excellent gofer. I marvel at the capabilities of carpenters, plumbers, masons, painters, electricians and any and all other people who work so skillfully with their hands. I am a laborer and a helper. I have been known to say that if I could not talk for a living, my children may have starved.

Don't get me wrong. I have had numerous jobs in my life and learned quite a few specialized skills. For example.... I have installed and serviced fire extinguishers, cut and prepared Christmas trees, split wood, cooked fast food, done a host of labor jobs and whatever it took to be working and being productive.  I don't think I have been unemployed for more than a few weeks total of my whole life since I was 15. All of that experience does not mean I would not call myself a craftsman at anything.

So I have utmost respect for those who make things, fix things and do things with their hands. I love to help them and encourage them and serve those people in whatever way I can. My prayer is that God will show favor to Grace Harbor Ministries, that his favor will rest on us and that He will establish the work of our hands. May we be His hands and do the work that He wants us to do. Not just the skilled handiwork and trades stuff, but the work with children and youth and the counseling and leading and planning and helping in the lives of people too.

Thank God for all who serve Him in any way; for prayer warriors and helpers of every ilk. We need everyone to do everything they can in order to do what He wants to accomplish.

Pray with me for His favor and for Him to establish our work for His glory.

Amen. Pastor Fred

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