“Father God, I bow my head before you tonight first to thank you. I thank you for giving me your mercy that has sustained me on my rough nights which have been many. I thank you for giving me the wisdom and knowledge to excel through high school that has allowed me to become now a college graduate. I thank you for giving me the strength to be able to work to provide for my family and for always being a provider for them when I am not able. Now Lord, I ask that you guide me down the right path so that I can continue to be a worker for you and a provider for my family. I don’t know what you have planned for me but Lord, I’m ready to see it because I know that you won’t leave me after bringing me this far. Continue to cover me Lord and continue to crown my head with wisdom and my feet with strength to walk. Lord God, I trust you because you have never failed me and as long as you cover me, I’ll never fail you. In your name I pray. Amen.”
He got up from his desk, wiped his face and went to bed.
A few weeks later, as he stood in the place where his graduation would take place he zipped up his robe and place the cap on his head. He spun around in awe of the many blessings that God had already given him. His mom and sisters were able to travel and he was so happy to see the proudness in their eyes and the smiles on their lips. He smiled hard trying to cover up the worries in his eyes for the “what next” part of his life. As the ceremony went on and his name was finally called to receive his Bachelor Degree in Computer Technology, he was overcome with emotion. After the ceremony, while he waited for his family the owner from the restaurant he worked grabbed him and gave him the biggest hug. She told him how proud she was of him and she handed him an envelope and asked him to open it. When he did, he found a check for $10,000.00 and he gasped. She explained that she knew from the moment he came into the restaurant the favor God has placed on his life and because of that she had begun a savings account for him. As his graduation time drew near, the many customers and members of her family match what she had saved and it allowed her to present it to him on today. He grabbed her this time and gave her the biggest hug and he whispered, thank God for you. As she walked off, she told him to make her proud. As he wipes the tears that escaped from his eyes, a young woman approached him. She introduced herself as the head of the local FBI in the city and they were in need of his computer expertise. She explained that she had followed his college career and she was in awe of his strength. She also told him that all of his professors spoke highly of him and all gave outstanding recommendations. She went on to say the job would be local and it would pay him a substantial amount of money and benefits which included a housing allowance that would allow him to move his mother and sisters here as well. He opened his mouth but no words would come out. She gently patted his hands and told him, no words were necessary because his worked spoke for him. She handed him the packet of information and told him to take a 2 week vacation and report to work immediately afterwards. As she walked off, he simply said, “Only God!”
After he got back to his mom’s house, he went to bed early. He was shaken in the middle of the night and when he sat up; he found an envelope on the end of the bed. He picked it up and began to read. It said,
“My child, I heard your plea to me so I had to come and let you know that I would never leave you nor forsake you. See, when you started on this journey so long ago I knew how hard it would become but I knew that you were stronger and no matter what obstacles you faced, you took them all without every wavering in your faith and because of that I had to give you favor for your labor. I know that your mom’s sickness is hard but it’s just a test. I know that college was hard, but it was just a test. I know that providing for your family was hard, but it was just a test and although you were able to pass them all, it doesn’t mean your tests stop because they won’t and sometimes they will seem harder but you’ll be fine. You are made in my image and because of this you are capable of handling the fire that you’ll have to walk through but you won’t get burned, you’re be able to handle the unfriendly people you’ll meet without it knocking you off your path and you’ll be able to handle the rain when it pours but it won’t drown you. I know that you think the job offer is too good to be true but it is and it’s yours and because you have been faithful in your work for me, I’m giving you favor for your labor! God”
See, although you think that the work you doing won’t pay off, God is saying hold on just a little while longer because you’ll get favor for your labor. Just because you think that working 14 hour days, 6 days a week will kill you; hold on because you’ll soon get favor for your labor. Don’t you know when things happen to you out of nowhere, that’s God’s favor? When you receive a call from a job you applied for 8 months ago and had forgot about, that’s God’s favor. When your boss calls you into his office to promote you to a job you hadn’t even applied for and you think you aren’t qualified for, that’s God’s favor. When you get a bonus on your job for doing the work others complain about, that’s God’s favor. See, if you work for God he’ll work for you. Psalm 5:12 says, “For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” See, when you have God’s favor, it blocks the attacks of the enemy. When you have God’s favor, those folks on your job who have been trying to get you fired will be fired first. When you have God’s favor the stress that’s causing others on the job to bail, it won’t even affect you. Oh, when you have God’s favor you have protection and with God’s protection you have peace and with that peace come power and with this power you’ll be able to praise while others pity. With God’s favor, you’ll be rewarded for your labor for Psalm 90:17 says, “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” When you have favor from God everything your hands touch will be blessed. When you touch the paycheck and it seems small to you, God will make it just enough to make all your ends meet. Don’t believe me, read Ephesians 1:11 which say, “Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” See; even though it may not be clear to you, it’s surely clear enough to God, so hold on. You might be laboring in a situation and you’ve had thoughts of giving up and throwing in the towel, just hold on. It might not seem like you’re being blessed and your prayers are not being heard, but God is listening and he’s saying hold on because you’ll soon get favor for your labor.
Lakisha, the Author 