Labour

Labor following the curse

Painful labor in childbirth and the need to work hard towards bringing fruit from the earth are curses following the fall of man. 2 days ago I had the privilege of being with our daughter in the birthing suite, sharing in the intensely painful process of bringing forth the baby, our first grandchild! The excruciating pain culminating in extreme joy is an unforgettable experience!

Goodness in every aspect was a result of God’s blessing on all of His creation. As a consequence of the fall and separation from God, the earth is under a curse. Weeds grow naturally and more abundantly than herbs, grain and fruit plants. Even a man who is not a farmer, has to work hard to earn a wage to provide for his family. The nature of man is evil and the heart desperately wicked. In the spiritual sense too, man and woman need to labor in some way to  come under God’s favor which is a place of blessing and good fruit. we need to work hard in seeking the Lord, mourning for our sins and repenting of our wicked ways so that we may experience the fullness of God’s Spirit in us, bringing forth the lovely fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you." Genesis 3:16  

Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." Genesis 3:17-19

In fact, the whole world is laboring to come out of the curse and be birthed into God’s favor and blessing.

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Romans 8:22

Labor in vain

Imagine a woman conceiving in her womb, going through the difficulties of pregnancy for forty weeks and enduring the overwhelming pangs of labor and excruciating pain of delivery only to see a stillborn baby! All her labor is in vain! In vain!!
Observe a farmer laboring in his field, preparing it, carefully sowing good seed, spending time, energy and money to nurture the plants. He may need to get rid of weeds and eradicate pests. He makes sure there is enough water and fertilizer. He expects a bumper crop and his heart is filled with joy. Even as he prepares to harvest, there comes a flash flood, completely destroying the crop! What a waste! All his labor is in vain!!
The word of God says that such is the state of any of our works that are not done ‘In Christ.’

For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. Ecclesiastes 2:22-26

Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep. Psalms 127:1-2

labor in-Christ

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

1) Sowing the seed

Mary received God’s word brought to her by the Angel, submitted to that word, conceived by the Holy Spirit and brought forth Jesus, The Son of God. This would have been a painful process for her.

And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35

We need to labor in sowing the precious seed of the word of God in our own hearts and in the hearts of others. When we receive God’s word and submit to that word, it is planted in our hearts.

Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. Psalms 126:5-6

2) Growing the seed - stretching!

God’s word grows in the heart like how a child grows in the womb of a pregnant woman. This stretching can be uncomfortable like the stretching we go through as we grow spiritually! Growth takes place as we feed on the word of God through diligent study of it and drink of His Spirit through prayer and close communion with God through the Lord Jesus. Jesus made it clear that we should value Him, Who is our spiritual food and life, and labor for Him , more diligently than for natural food and drink.

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' " Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6:27-35

Like the patient stretching of the womb, we need to wait patiently to see the word grow and bear fruit in our own lives and in the lives of others. If there is no patience and stretching, the seed will die.

Jesus is The only Mediator between God and man Who labored on the cross to birth us into His kingdom. He was stretched beyond measure between heaven and earth as He hung on the cruel cross. He bridged the gap between The Most Holy God and the filthiest of sinners. He brought glory to earth and earth to glory through grace. The Son of GOD became the Son of Man to make the connection between God and man. He gave up His glory and subjected Himself to the law of gravity. He endured excruciating pain as His arms were stretched across and nailed so that He could embrace all of mankind of all the ages. He is well able to save all people from the legalistic end of the scale to the lawless end of the scale!
The vastness of God’s love is revealed through our Savior, JESUS!

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19 

3) The labor of Christ

We are justified only by our Savior, JESUS CHRIST,  Who laboriously interceded for us. He continues to intercede for His own, being at the right hand of God. Therefore now we labor in and through His love.
Mary labored and endured birth pangs to bring forth the Savior into the world.
Our fallen nature brings forth only evil fruit. Therefore we need to labor in repentance, denying self and abiding in Christ so that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit.
Jesus walked on this earth doing His Heavenly Father’s works. When He carried the sin of the world on Himself on the cross, His soul was in great labor because:-
    While taking on Himself all the filth of all sin of all mankind of all times,
         He remained pure and holy.
             He did not condemn, but asked God to forgive mankind.
                 This intercession was the labor of His soul through which He birthed us into God’s kingdom. Now He Himself washes us with His own blood as He continues to intercede for us,  at the right hand of God.

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53:10-11

3) Birthing Christ

All our labor should be motivated by the love of Christ.

For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Hebrews 6:10

remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Even as we continue to labor in love, let’s not let go, but let’s hold fast to our first love, Who is our Precious Lord JESUS! Make the first connection stronger and more secure as you stretch out!

I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary.
Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Revelation 2:2-4

Those of us who have experienced the forgiveness of sins through the Blood of The Lamb of God and are connected to God through the His Holy Spirit, are to continue this work of intercession on the earth.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband." Galatians 4:27

The apostle Paul labored in intercession to bring believers to fullness in Christ.

My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, Galatians 4:19

But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain. Galatians 4:9-11

4) Sabbath Rest

The process of labour, even though painful and long, ends abruptly the moment the baby is birthed out of the mother's body and two individuals are separated! GOD set the example of resting on the 7th day, after His work of creating everything over 6 days. As man was created only on the 6th day, the sabbath day was his first day on earth and he had to start with rest! This rest means GOD'S relationship with man and man's relationship with GOD. All our RElationships should STart with GOD and STop from going beyond GOD! He should be the boundary line for every individual person. All our labour over 6 days should be in Him and through Him.

There is an important commandment we need to remember. It is an experience of rest in our relationship with The Lord. It is also the experience of rest in our relationships with others. Therefore it is necessary for Christians to keep the Sabbath day holy and to keep ourselves free to gather together with fellow believers and worship God together.

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. Hebrews 4:1

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Hebrews 4:9-10

When we come to Christ, we come to the place of rest to our souls. We need to continue to abide in Him and be yoked to Him to do His will and His work. The Sabbath rest is His rest.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30


Are you stressed?
  Come to CHRIST.
    Wait on CHRIST.
      Enter into His rest!

Joy

True, deep joy is the sure end product of our labour in diligently seeking the LORD JESUS, taking up our cross and following Him. This joy lasts to eternity!

 Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.  John 16:20-22 
 Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:5-6