Proverbs 6:7 Without having any chief, officer or ruler,
I remember working in a warehouse as a young man. It was a busy place, with trucks coming and going all day dropping off their goods. My role was to offload the trucks with a forklift and bring everything inside to the correct storage spot. I also transported goods back out to delivery vehicles when they were sold and we loaded the drivers in reverse order of delivery which was often tricky with the limited space we had.
I went into work dressed for action, overalls, steel toe trainers, and sweatbands. My intention was to work and to go hard all day.
One day the forklift was broken so we did everything by hand with pallet trucks and muscle. Handling large flatpacks onto high shelves in the warehouse all day. I loved it!
Occasionally there was a lull in the busyness, and in these times I would sort out all the returns ready to ship out and brush the floor and hose down the yard.
One day the General manager came walking through the warehouse with all the heads of departments with him, on a tour of the shop floor (it was a massive building, a bit like a Bunnings in Sydney).
As they came around the corner I was brushing the warehouse floor (it was a quiet moment). None of the other warehouse staff was to be seen anywhere, as they often slid off and hid when it was quiet. I didn’t mind as there was not enough work for all of us anyway when it was quiet.
The GM stopped and pointed to me and said to the full group of department heads, “every time I see this guy, he is working”.
Around two weeks later I was appointed Warehouse Supervisor, and shortly after that Warehouse Manager.
I could tell you story after story of what happens when you take the job on offer and give it your best shot. And wait.
KNOWLEDGE
Steven Covey, in his book on the seven habits, talks about the idea of private victory before the public victory.
I love to see and meet people who conduct themselves at work the same way when the boss is not watching as they do when the boss is watching.
Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 21:28-32 about two sons. One said he would not do as his father’s asked, but then changed his mind (repented) and did it. The other son said to his father he would do as asked but then did not. The question Jesus asks at the end of the parable is this “which one of the two did the will of his father?”
James puts it like this in his text to the church (James 2:14-26) – v17 “So also faith by itself if it does not have works, is dead”
I wonder what ways I could help others today, what person could I call and encourage, who could I email a note of thanks to, who could I text words of life too, who could I prophesy over this morning. Who could I add to my prayers today and pray with all fervour for? Who could I send a surprise gift to? Who might like a great meal dropped off? What’s my proactive plan this week to bless others?
UNDERSTANDING
Let’s pick one word from this verse to look closer at and see if that can help us gain a deeper insight into how God would love us to live?
The word for “officer” in Hebrew is pronounced as “satar” and appears 25 times in the Old Testament. In the ESV this word is translated into the English words, foremen and officers.
There is a suggestion of someone who keeps records of all you do each day so that you may be controlled, which is clearly not the case for an ant.
WISDOM – am I the same person on my own as I am around others?
STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Activator, lives in value-based actions, supporting others through thick and thin.
Allan’s Unauthorised Version – [with no commander or foreman, governor or controller.]
PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Help me to seek you freshly and constantly and allow your Holy Spirit to have His way in me. Thank you
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