Turning Routine Into Blessings

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Psalm 90:17 NIV)

I have been reading through the Psalms recently and, as often happens, a particular verse or passage leapt off the page this morning with meaning and relevance. It was this quote attributed to Moses.

I try each day to make it a point to ask God to show me favor in the work I am doing that day and/or in the meetings with students I am having, and to bless my efforts.  While I am far from perfect at it, I believe it to be a good practice.

I think it is easy for us to fall into the habit of assuming there are some things in life where we need little or no help.  We get comfortable and confident because they are things in which we have experience and are common to life, such as the tasks of our jobs, the routines of married life or of school, or managing our finances or time.  As a result, I think we do far less for the Kingdom than we might if we were to go to the Lord daily with a request similar to that of Moses.

By doing so, instead of living the bulk of our lives out of our own strength and wisdom, we are tapping into the power of the Creator of the universe to guide us and to make a way for us to have an eternal impact. We are opening the door for our jobs to be a place of ministry and witness, for our interactions to be a means to plant and water ‘seeds’ that may eventually sprout into a rich harvest, and for our relationships to grow deeper and to have a greater impact on those around us.  By doing so, we are opening ourselves up to be used by God in ways we might never imagine.  In essence, we are asking the Lord to be His instrument every day in working out His will in this world.  

Life typically can be mundane, particularly if it is filled with routine and things familiar to us.  We go about our daily lives, go to sleep, and then wake up to do the same thing all over again.  But it doesn’t have to be that way, and I don’t think that is God’s desire for us.  Instead, He wants every day to be one where what we do matters.  He wants to show us favor and to bless all that we do.

So today start out by asking the Lord to show you favor and to make whatever you do effective in working out His will.  For nothing in His hands is ever merely routine.  It has purpose and impact.

© Jim Musser 2017