SCRIPTURE:
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Matthew 4:18-22
OBSERVATION:
Where do you expect God to speak to you? At church? Of course! At home? Sure! But what about at work? Does God really speak to us while we’re at work?
In Matthew 4, we find Jesus calling the first four of his twelve disciples. Where does Jesus call these men? At work. All four––Peter, Andrew, James, and John––of these men were fishermen. When Jesus meets these men to invite them to join Him, Jesus meets them at their workplace––the Sea of Galilee. Moreover, when Jesus speaks to them, He speaks to them while they are in the middle of their work––as they are casting and preparing their nets.
God meets us while we are at work and speaks to us in our ordinary, everyday lives. And He does not just do this with these four disciples; He works this way all throughout Scripture. He encountered Moses through the burning bush as he was at work tending to Jethro’s flock (Exodus 3:1-4). He spoke to the shepherds while they were at work in the field as they watched their flocks by night to tell them about the birth of His son (Luke 2:8-15). He called Matthew while he was at work in the middle of collecting taxes to follow Him (Matthew 9:9).
God is always at work, even while we are at work. When Jesus shows up at your workplace, are you going to ignore His call, or are you going to stop what you’re doing to listen to Him? The Bible makes it clear that God speaks to us while we are at work. Thus, we must be ready to encounter the Savior, listen to the Holy Spirit, and respond to God immediately even when we’re in the middle of our ordinary, mundane lives, just as these first four disciples did.
APPLICATION:
Expect God to speak to you while you’re at work. You spend a whole third of your life there––why wouldn’t he speak to you there?
Starting today, expect to experience God at work. Perhaps you’ll encounter Him unexpectedly like Moses, hear His voice just like the shepherds, or get your invitation to your brand new calling like Matthew. Or perhaps God has already been speaking to you at work, and He’s waiting for your response. Work can be just as holy of a place as church––for holiness is defined by the presence of God. God is not confined to a building, and the Holy Spirit follows you wherever you go. Thus, anywhere––work, home, and anywhere in between––can be a holy place if God deems it so.
Allow God to make your workplace a sanctuary. Experience God at work while you are at work. Look for Him, listen for Him, and seek Him at work just as much as you do at church. For when you do, you’ll surely find Him there.
PRAYER:
God,
Thank You for loving me, leading me, and calling me. Today, I recognize that church is not the only place I can experience You; I can experience You at work, at home, and everywhere in between. So today, I open my eyes to see you, I open my ears to hear You, and I open my life to experience You in the ordinary. Speak to me whenever You want to, whenever You want to, and however You want to. Transform my workplace into a sanctuary and transform my workspace into holy ground, for You are always at work, even when I am at work. Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
