Contemplative Bible Reading

Proverbs 22:29 (New Living Translation)

Do you see any truly competent workers?
They will serve kings
rather than working for ordinary people.

This section of Proverbs begins with, “Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to my instruction.”

Next are a series of “Don’t do this and don’t do that” as those things go against God’s will. Then we have verse 29 given above. Opposite of all the “Don’t do” things is “do be competent,” as competent workers will serve kings.

Well, that’s nice, but we don’t have kings in America and what’s the use of all that? No, we don’t have royalty in America, or do we. We do have lots of “powerful” people with lots of money and influence and all that.

Do I want to work for American royalty? Why not. They have influence. If I work there, I can have influence for God on those who influence others.

Perhaps this is naive. Really? The competent grass cutter guy influence the person who has enough money to not cut his own grass? Whether the royalty is in Washington D.C. or Tickfaw, La (a real place), they are influential.

Joseph, a convict out on a work program, influenced Pharaoh and saved millions of lives that begat billions of children through the centuries. Naive? Fairy tale? Or maybe that was the miraculous power of God working through someone who was despised by his own family and left to rot in a dungeon. Oh, perhaps that can repeat itself. Perhaps it does repeat itself daily.

Lord, help me to be a competent worker despite my circumstances.