The Privileged Life: Is God Directing Your Work for 2024?

“…Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us….” (Psalm 90:17)

As 2024 gets rolling, I’ve noticed lots of folks have chosen their inspirational “word for the year”—impressive mantras like perseverance, imagination, or explore.

I didn’t have any great ideas for myself until I ran back across Psalm 90:17 (see above). In this “Prayer of Moses,” the psalmist asks God to show us His beauty, which would be a good word. And the second half of that verse contains the word establish, for our work.

I like that second word. I’m going to adopt it for 2024!

According to Strong’s Concordance, the Hebrew word used here for establish is kûwn—which means “to stand erect” or “to set up.” It’s used in a variety of applications—to establish, fix, prepare, apply, appoint; to render sure, proper, or prosperous. It carries implications of certainty, faithfulness, preparation, provision, and readiness. Sounds productive.

Establish is an encouraging word for anyone working on new year’s resolutions and goals for the coming months. Let’s make our plans, dive in, and get started!

Except…

Read that verse again. The psalmist doesn’t talk about establishing his own work. He asks God to do it for him.

That’s a far different aspect from the do-it-yourself attitude of many Americans, especially here in Scots-Irish Appalachia. We admire people of initiative, those who work hard over long periods of time to achieve their goals. There’s nothing wrong with that.

But the message here puts our work in perspective. If we’re honest with ourselves, none of our labors are guaranteed success. As hard as we may apply ourselves to a job, only God can prosper our work or let it fail. Only He can give us the resources and talents that we need. Only His Holy Spirit can guide us in what we need to do.

This verse—asking God to establish our work—isn’t an excuse for being lazy, waiting for things to simply fall into our laps. Pastor Alistair Begg calls true idleness a sin: “When laziness comes to mark our existence, we may convince ourselves that we really are prepared to run ten miles, start writing that paper, or finish that project—but we are only living in the realm of imagination until our reality is changed by God’s power and grace.”*

Rather, the message from Moses calls us to recognize that God is fully in charge of everything. We are to be His faithful servants, setting out each morning to honor Him with our labors, ideas, efforts, and diligence. At the same time, we are to seek His direction and results.

That requires praying…listening to the Holy Spirit…searching His word for answers. It requires staying focused on Him, not going off on selfish tangents for our own gain or pride. It demands that we plead for discernment from Him.

Moses was certainly a man who worked long hours, even into his senior years, as he led a nation of about a million people across the desert. He also knew how important it was to spend time with God, to find out His plans and commandments. The biggest failure in Moses’ leadership came when he took matters into his own hands (striking the rock for water) instead of stepping aside for God to provide for the Israelites.

What are you facing in 2024? Do you have wishes, dreams, and impressive goals to achieve? You can’t do them by yourself. And you won’t succeed without God’s blessing.

Following Him might mean giving up your aspirations of the moment to pursue what His Holy Spirit leads you to do. It might mean giving up something comfortable to work hard in a desolate situation. It could even mean giving up your desired career to take care of the elderly, stay at home to raise children, or go abroad to serve on the mission field.

As I ponder my own work, I confess that my 2024 writing workbook/calendar is still blank…still awaiting God’s management. I’m working this week with a pencil to fill in some of the blanks with tasks that await me, all the while praying for God to be in charge.

Can you do the same? Using a pencil or a digital calendar that can be modified? Allowing God to bring you His interruptions and change of direction? Asking God to work in you “both to will and do for His good pleasure”? (Philippians 2:13)

Let’s give Him the glory this week…putting the labors of our hands into His sovereign, beautiful hands. Then, let’s get cracking on the work He establishes for us!

Heavenly Father, You are wise, capable, and good to give me work. Never let me see it as an inconvenience or burden when You step in to establish Your plans for me. Call me to be watchful, diligent, and submissive to follow Your will. Show me where and how to serve you…and bless my work for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #establishwork #wordoftheyear #newyearsresolutions #newyeargoals #holyspirit #alistairbegg #initiative #calendar #planningfor2024

*Alistair Begg, Truth for Life: 365 Daily Devotions. (The Good Book Company: Epsom, Surrey, England, 2021), p. 364.