“In all labor there is profit, But mere talk leads only to poverty.” -Proverbs 14:23 (NASB)
Wanting not to be poor I decided I’d better study this verse. I found something interesting. The word for “labor” in the Hebrew is ‘etseb‘ (Strong’s 6089); it means “a thing formed or shaped; toil; the pain of childbirth.” This hit home with me. Lately, I’ve been trying to write and one of the most daunting things about writing is staring at a blank page trying to find the impetus to start typing the first words. Trust me, a blank page can be a most humbling thing. It stares at you mockingly. It takes a lot of effort to get past it. Seeing what the word “labor” means helps me. I see that labor, like childbirth, is a painful, creative effort. And there is a promise that this effort isn’t futile, it leads to profit (Mowthar – abundance, plenty). So if I were asked to rewrite the Bible (which, by the way, I’ve never been asked), I would write the first part of this verse like this:
“In the painful effort of creation there is abundance!”
There are things that God has called us to form and shape and give birth to. If we pour ourselves into the process and see it through to the end we will find abundant reward. And what’s even better, He cheats for us; He gives us both the desire AND the ability through grace to do it!
(originally published 10/20/14)