BIBLE READING: Genesis 29-30
These guys were exhausted! They had spent the last two hours in the hot sun wearing all their football gear soaked in sweat, and maybe even a little blood, from the cleat to the arm. They could barely even make it to the water hose as they soaked up every ounce they could to stay hydrated. I watched as they ran wind sprints for the last few minutes of practice as their coaches shouted out words of encouragement; things like “Don’t quit! Show me what you got! You can do it!” To those players, that last ten minutes must have seemed like an eternity. When the final whistle sounded for the players to huddle up it was as if a burst of adrenaline had just been shot through their veins and they all sprinted to midfield hoisting up their helmets, high fiving their teammates and coaches. After listening to the final words from their coach, they lift their hands and shouted in unison “Hard Work, Pays Off!”. Those coaches were teaching a very important lesson to those young men; hard work really does pay off in the end. It might be in awards, wins or maybe even the sense of accomplishment of doing your best; regardless, when we work hard and do our best, in the end it will pay off. Those thoughts must have gone through the mind of Jacob for those fourteen years as he worked to just be able to marry, what in his eyes, was the most beautiful woman in the world. Some days were easy, other days must have been very difficult. No matter how difficult each day might have been, he endured because he knew that in the end “Hard Work, Pays Off”! Living the life of a Christian is not easy, in fact, at times it is very difficult. There will be days that we feel as though we cannot walk another step in the Light. Yet we must continue to endure, because for those that endure, there will be a payoff of Heavenly proportions. Christians huddle up…Keep going…. Don’t quit… because Hard Work…Pays Off!