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Show COMMITTED HANDS thy handfindeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Whatsoever the grave, whither thou goest. "Ecclesiastes 9: 10) " Eugene Peterson's The Message paraphrases the text: "Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it, for there's neither work to do nor thoughts to think in the company of the dead, where you're most certainly headed." My parents taught us in similar proverbial phrases, "Opportunity knocks but once." "Seize the moment." "Don't put off for tomorrow what you can do today." 1 worthily while you may." Ifwe are going to lead like Jesus leaders, we must commit our hands to doing the work of the kingdom. "Live Paul Roberson said in his 1919 Rutgers University valedictorian speech, "Our future lies chiefly in our hands." There was an article in the April 29, 2010 Salt Lake Tribune headlines, ""LeBron Converts To Lefty." It explains how "ambi-dexterity makes him special, perhaps the most skilled basketball player on the planet." On page 30 of Parade Magazine for May 2, 2010, the story reads, "The Lost Art of Building With Your Hands." It tells how most of us have everything done for us. "We download, We boot up, We plug and 2 support." But this 14 year old African boy from Malawi saw pictures in a book, found a bicycle rim, picked up PVC pipe, got an old tractor fan from the junkyard and built a windmill with enough energy to power one light bulb. That led to bigger windmills-and finally a water pump. play, We call tech He did all of that with his own You do know that there is hands. kingdom work to be done. We must commit to do inspired hearts. Then we must get our thought organized so that our had is straight. With that our feet can get us to the place that work with when God our warm can use OUR HANDS in His day that the Lord has had best get busy working service. This is the made and we and 3 while it is day, no man can night cometh when God is expecting for the work. service of our hands. So, "Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it productive with thy might." Now, the hand is at the end of the physical arm consisting of a palm and five fingers. It is used to do a particular task, to hold on to tools, to handle weapons, to take or possess some object. We shake hand to consummate an agreement, to make commitment. We clap a deal or a sure hands to celebrate, put our hand over our mouths to indicate silence, on our head to suggest up in the air to praise and worship God. (I Timothy 2: 8) One man ordered a grief, basin of water to wash his hands 4 as a indication of cleansing and innocence. (Matthew 27) The hand is sometimes used as a measuring tool, about 4 inches wide. So that if a horse is 14 hands high that means the horse is 58 inches tall. To lay hands on a person literally speaks of physical assault while to lay hands on one spiritually is to set them aside for Godly service. The ole folks use to sing: "God has no hands but mine." "And having put his hand to the plow, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9: 62) Often we hear people say, "I did this with Jesus said unto him, No man, hands," or "This is the work of my hands." Metaphorically the hand represents strength or power or instrument or authority Well, the hand my own . 5 is our committed tool for work done and Notice, the getting leading us to text find to do. It is not faithfulness. summons us attention to whatever work we are particular work some large some to do. It is not just assignments but to pay hands our but any work. It is not unusual task, but whatever task that God's we find popular anything that comes our Something the work to way to be done. be done is behind the like many in the book of Nehemiah. Sometimes, the scenes work is preparatory like that done by John the Baptist. Some of us are novice, apprentice, some are journeymen, and others are masters. Yet, everybody can find something to do. others are Your work is not mine and my work is 6 not yours. And when you find the work for your hands, give it all that you have. "Do it Put forth every effort. Work heartily." hard. Who was the young man who had and did it with such paint delight that everybody else wanted to join in? Mark Twain had Tom Sawyer having so much fun that every boy in town who came by volunteered to help whitewash 30 yards of 9 foot tall fence with 3 coats. Tom Sawyer told Ben, Billy Fisher, and Johnny Miller, "It is not every day that a boy gets a chance to whitewash a fence." (See The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) I thought about that and am reminded that "It is not every day that Jesus got to a fence to 7 die for your sins and mine." He went to the cross without complaint, without hard feelings, without hesitation, without trying to get even, with a forgiving spirit, and with yielding hands. He got up from the grave and lives. See the nail prints in His hands. As proof that nobody took His life but He gladly gave it, "Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." (John 20: 27) For those who would lead like Jesus, work. we must put 8 our hands to |
