THINK TOGETHER.
Where does the food you eat come from?
READ TOGETHER
Proverbs 20:4. The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
Where does the food we eat come from? It comes from creation, from nature, from the earth. Therefore, it comes from God. But God doesn’t just make our food magically appear, he expects us to work hard to get it. Even before Adam and Eve sinned they were supposed to work hard in the garden and take care of the plants and the animals that gave them food to eat.
For thousands and thousands of years most people on Earth have been farmers. That was true in Solomon’s day too. People didn’t go to grocery stores or restaurants, they grew their own food. They farmed. And farming is hard work. You have to plow and plant in the autumn so that you will have a harvest of crops in the springtime.
The sluggard is a fool who doesn’t do the hard work plowing in the autumn, and then shows up at harvest time demanding food. Hmmm. Does that sound like you? Do you seek things, even demand things, that you haven’t worked hard for? Do you contribute to your family and do your share of the work? This is part of growing up. When you were a baby you didn’t do anything but got everything. But as you grow up you can do more and more to help out around the house. You can work hard and be helpful so that everyone in the house can thrive and be happy.
This isn’t just about earning your way. It’s about sharing what you have. Jesus’ love and grace will cover us no matter how much we work or how lazy we are. But the more we trust Jesus’ love and grace the more we realize how much he has given to us, and then the more we want to share what we have, including our hard work around the house. When we all work hard we are not earning Jesus’ love, we are showing the love of Jesus to others.
Because of Jesus we always have God’s love.
With Jesus we can work hard from his love.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Look at the food in your kitchen together. Talk about where it comes from. How much hard work went into getting it? Give thanks for all those who work so hard so that you can eat.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, keep me from being lazy and let me work had from your love. Amen.
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