Work is a Gift from God (1 Kings 7:13–14)

In this episode of Pray the Word on 1 Kings 7:13–14, David Platt reminds us that God gives us different skills and vocations to use for his glory.

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Transcript

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Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from radical dot net. First Kings chapter seven verses thirteen and fourteen. And King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Napali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze, and he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work. I love this description of Hiram, this worker in bronze, who is full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. What a description of a craftsman who God had given particular grace to, to know how to work with bronze, whom God appointed to play a pivotal part in the construction of the temple for the glory of God. And when I read this verse, I think about, I just think about the church. I think about the church I pastor. I think about the church more broadly. I think about all the different, unique grace gifts that God has given to so many different people. I think about the creativity of God. He's given people the ability to teach. God knows the type of work you do. And it is important, it's significant for you to do that work, for me to do the work God's called me to do, and for us to do it with skill, with wisdom, and with understanding for his glory in every different domain. And none more important than the other. My work as a pastor is not more important than your work as a teacher, as an engineer. Like God's wired us, called us, gifted us in different ways. He's given us different assignments. And even some who might think, yeah, but my work is just this or that. Don't think that way. Like assuming that your work is not sinful or evil, so that would be the only exception to this. But all work is a good gift from God that echoes to his glory. And the beauty is when all of God's people realize this and we work, we use our skills, we carry out our responsibilities in our workplaces in ways that resound to his glory, to others' good, as we do that work with wisdom and understanding. And so, God, I praise you for all the different skills, gifts, the different expertise and education and vocations that you give to all kinds of people, including non-Christians, for your common grace and so many different people. And then specifically for brothers and sisters in Christ who are listening to this right now, you've given us so many different domains and avenues to glorify you in our work. So, God, we pray that in our work today you would help us to do that work with wisdom and understanding and skill that resounds to your glory. And God, in all the different places where we're working, we pray you'd help us to work in a way that reflects your goodness and your glory. And that, yes, you would give us opportunities to proclaim the gospel to those around us in all these different domains that they might know you, that people might know you in every sphere of society. God, even as we pray continually on this podcast for unreached people around the world, God, we pray that you would use all of our gifts and all of our skills and all that flows from that, whether it's money, salary, resources that we're able to have, or opportunities that are open around the world for the spread of the gospel through our different vocations. God, we pray that by your creativity, you would use all of our work for the spread of your glory in all of the world right around us, in the places where we work today, in places far from us, among the Darwazi of Afghanistan. God, we pray for the spread of your grace and your glory to the Darwazi of Afghanistan. And we pray that you might use some of the skills represented on this prayer podcast episode right now, that you would use our skills in creative ways for the spread of your glory in places in the world where your gospel is not yet known. Oh, God, we praise you for your grace toward us and the skills you entrust to us, and we pray that you would help us to steward those skills with wisdom and understanding for your glory, just like we see here in Hiram in 1 Kings chapter 7. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.