THEY SHALL NOT LABOUR IN VAIN- ISAIAH 65:23.
God is concerned about every detail of our lives as his children. He wants us to sow seeds of love, peace and forgiveness in every way we can. However, much more than sowing these seeds, he is committed to ensuring that we reap a bountiful harvest from those seeds. God is not the God of the seedtime alone; he is also the God of the harvest! When you walk with God, you can be sure that your labour can never be in vain.
Isaiah 65:23 is a reassuring promise of scripture from God himself, that you will not labour in vain. God does not want you to plant seeds and not eat the fruit of it. He does not want you to build a house and not live in it. He is a loving Father, so he wants you to enjoy the works of your hands long enough. In God’s system, the labourer in a vineyard should be the first partaker of the fruits before others do. (2 Timothy 2:6).
Many verses of Scripture make us know that God rewards the labour of his people heavily. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that God is a rewarder for those who seek him diligently. Isaiah 45:19 says that God has not called us to seek him in vain. In Hebrews 6:10, the Bible makes it clear that God is not unrighteous to forget our work and labour of love. 1 Corinthians 15:58 tells us to keep it to heart that our labour in the Lord can never be in vain. The Bible goes on and on in emphasizing this singular fact: Your labour is not in vain!
Much more than our earthly bosses and employers, we have a great employer in heaven who has called us to his service: God. Our earthly bosses can be unrighteous at times, but God can never be unrighteous. He recompenses every man in double fold according to the work of their hands. Have you been labouring in secret and it feels like no one notices or appreciates you? Don’t give up! God notices every single thing you do and he will definitely reward you in good time. In God’s reward system, no single bit of your labour will ever go unnoticed.
Whether it’s your labour and love over your children, loved ones, church or community, always remember that God is a righteous rewarder. He sees all you do and he will reward you accordingly. Not only will your reward be for you, but it will be for all your descendants, according to Isaiah 65:23.
Finally, if God truly rewards all we do, this should encourage us to do more for God and all the people around us. Knowing that none of our actions goes past God’s eyes, we should shun all forms of hatred, strife and unforgiveness. As we live peaceably and lovingly towards everyone around us, God the rewarder is taking note of it all in his book of rewards and recompense. You can be sure that he will pay you back for all the good you have done!