Nowadays there are all kinds of talk about unemployment.
It
wasn't much different in 1932, especially in South Dakota. There wasn't
much money; the grasshoppers ate anything that was green. Then there
were the dust storms, a long drought, weeks with temperatures over 100
degrees.
Swimming in a sea of sadness it appeared that Ted and
Dorothy Hustead's drugstore was going to close, and they would be
unemployed. They took the matter to the Lord in prayer and then decided
they would do something, even if there were no guarantees.
To get
people into their drugstore they put up signs, 25 miles away, in all
directions, they put up signs that said, "Free Ice Water at the Wall
Drug Store, Wall, S.D." At the ten- and five-mile mark they set up signs
that said, "Hold on! It's Only 5 Miles to the Wall Drug Store and Free
Ice Water." Then they started to put up signs wherever they could.
Today it is not unusual for 20,000 people to crowd into the
drugstore. This in a town of 800 people. Quite a success story for
people who didn't want to be unemployed.
As you look through
Scripture, you will find people who are just the opposite: they like
unemployment, and they don't want to have a job. Moses was such a
person. He had all kinds of reasons why the Lord shouldn't use him to be
the leader of the exodus. When God gave Jonah a job, he ran the other
direction. Even Peter the apostle had moments when he felt God was
asking him to do things against his conscience.
You will note
that these individuals, in spite of their initial objections, did as the
Lord asked and the Holy Spirit gave success to His designated work.
That's often the way it works.
We may not feel like we're the
right person to do the job; we may think God is mistaken in picking us;
we may think there are 100 others who are better qualified. All our
excuses God brushes away and says, "I've got a job for you to do."
That's what He said to His Son centuries ago, and although the job
was distasteful and would lead to His death, Jesus embraced the work He
had been given.
Now, we who have been saved have the chance to
say, "Thank You, Lord," by working at the task God has given to us.
Why? Because God dislikes unemployment more than you.
THE
PRAYER: Lord God, there are some people who think they have good reasons
for not doing any thank-you work for the Lord. Please change their
minds, and let them know You want them employed in the service of the
Savior. I ask this in the Name of Jesus who gave Himself completely to
win humanity's salvation. Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Lutheran Hour Ministries All rights reserved;
not to be duplicated without permission.
