8-30-06 Isaiah 49:4

Isaiah 49:4 (KJ21)
Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain; I have spent My strength for nought and in vain; yet surely My judgment is with the LORD, and My work with My God.’

Isaiah 49:4 (NAS)
But I said, "I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity; Yet surely the justice due to Me is with the LORD, And My reward with My God."

Isaiah 49:4 (NIVUS)
But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand, and my reward is with my God."

Isaiah 49:4 (NLT)
I replied, "But my work all seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose at all. Yet I leave it all in the LORD’s hand; I will trust God for my reward."

From the Garden of Eden, men have had to work for their living by the sweat of the brow. This curse has been the downfall of many men, families, relationships, and even nations, for out of it has been born what the world terms "workaholics." These people believe they are the only ones responsible to keep body and soul together. They do not know that there was One--Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus the Christ--who took the curse of sin on Himself, so that mankind can go free.

Have you ever worked until you are exhausted, faint, and weary? At this point in your labor, what words do you let come out of your mouth? Are they words of hope or words of despair? Do you declare that your toil has been worthless, empty, and vain? Do you feel as if your have poured out your strength to no purpose? Do you believe that your power, substance, and wealth have been consumed and wasted? Perhaps this leaves you confused and desolate. Your efforts seem transitory and unsatisfactory. You think your expectations have led you astray into a wilderness.

This is when you need to remember Jehovah the Lord and what He has already done for you. He took the judgment for your sin, so that you can have justice. Your sentence and punishment became His. Now instead of a curse, you receive a reward for and in your work. Your labor is not vain, especially if you have dedicated it unto the Lord. You, therefore, should continue to work heartily, as unto the Lord, for He promised to prosper all the work of your hands.