Daily Duty

In the rush of daily duties, do you consider the work of your hands? The work of our hands: washing dishes, sending emails or text messages, stirring a pot of soup, tending to a sick child or elderly parents ... so many daily duties involve our hands. Hear the words of the LORD, "And if you offer yourself to [assist] the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail." (Isaiah 58:10-11, AMP). Beautiful promises to the beautiful works of our hands. Have you ever seriously considered the blessings we withhold from others [and from ourselves] when we fail to "work heartily, as for the Lord" (Colossians 3:23, ESV)? I suggest it is from the smallest of kindnesses and the least perceived acts of love that come our greatest blessings and deepest most genuine obedience to God. English writer, C. G. Rossetti, prayed: "In little daily duties to which Thou callest us, bow down our wills to simple obedience, patience under pain or provocation, strict truthfulness of word and manner, humility, kindness; in great acts of duty or perfection, if Thou shouldest call us to them, uplift us to self-sacrifice, heroic courage, laying down of life for Thy truth's sake, or for a brother." Humble surrender and obedience to God is our greatest ... daily duty.