“Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight” (Genesis 31:42).
Many believers experience failure and bitterness in the workplace. For them the workplace is a very cruel world. Ruthless boss, the job is exhausting, the result is not logical, until it felt like crying.
Jacob experienced the same thing. He worked well and responsibly, but the boss does not reward properly. Although, he worked for his uncle, who should treat him well, but he did not. His uncle is not ‘berperipersaudaraan.’
“This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times” (vv. 38-41)
Jacob has worked well and faithfully. He served Laban, his uncle, for 20 years (should have been awarded gold ring twice).
Jacob also worked with full responsibility. For twenty years he worked, there was never a single sheep and goat who miscarried. The male has never diminished. If there is torn by wild animals or stolen, he replaced it. That’s achievements and extraordinary devotion!
Jacob worked diligently. He worked day and night, willing to heat and cold, even less sleep.
But what Jacob get? Laban does not pay properly, has ten times Laban tricks and changed his wages. Even Laban’s sons slandered Jacob, that he had stolen Laban’s possessions.”
“And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory” (v. 1).
But although Jacob’s fate is less well on the job because the boss is arbitrary, in the end he managed to get out of it by having considerable wealth. How could it happen? This is a summary of the testimony of Jacob in verse 42: “If God is not with me, I’d come out empty-handed (without success).”
In other words, Jacob managed to get out of the house of Laban with a adequate wealth, not because the boss is good, not because of their place of employment wet and friends, but solely because of the Lord IS WITH ME!
So for all those who work in the workplace, you can enter into the workplace with confidence as Jacob: If God was with, I must succeed! If God had not been with, I’m going home empty-handed! Whatever the the job, whatever the circumstances, wherever they are, whoever the boss, whatever happens, If the Lord was with, I must succeed!
The same thing happens in the life of Joseph. He worked in a foreign country, namely Egypt. Work as slaves. But because God was with, he succeeded in all the job.
“And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field” (Genesis 39:1-5).
Had God is not with us, surely we will go home empty-handed! But if God is with us, surely we will return with great success!
Happy working. God be with you!
Also read: Qualities that Must be Owned to Increase From Worker to Owner.