Devotionals

Life in the City

by Jenor Aguilar
05/26/20
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It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep (Psalm 127:2).

Early in the morning, it’s nice to grab a cup of coffee, taking our breakfast, preparing ourselves ready for work, and then get off to the hustle and bustle city until late at night. The cycle that we have every day is very tiring. Sometimes, we left our home with a heavy heart. But we need to shove ourselves beyond the limit to compensate our sweat labours. What does it mean?

Majority of people today working extra hard just for many reasons. Obviously, because of poverty, financial rewards, health benefits, debts, leisures, perks, etc. According to Morley D. Glicken, “workaholism” means that you value work over any other activity, even when it negatively affects your health and family, as well as the quality of your work.

The psalmist used the word “painful” which is the same usage in Genesis 3:17. The word painful in Hebrew is “etseb” meaning, a hurt, pain, toil, idol, labour, or sorrow. A very familiar term for male labourers.

Notice the word “hurt” this is a warning for all of us. I mean that there is a pain for too much work. Besides, the negative effect of your being a workaholic is idolatry. You will no longer acknowledge that God is the number one priority in your life. You swap your faith and family just for material things. You always think about work, and without work, you feel worried and depressed.

The word “vain” or “shav” in Hebrew meaning, emptiness, vanity, deceitful, falsehood, lies, or worthless (see Ecclesiastes 2). God doesn’t want you to be like an orphan. He builds your home, protecting it, and sustaining it. Thus, being a child of God, He wants you to put your complete TRUST in Him because He is the source of everything we need!