“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…” Ecclesiastes 9:10a
“Whatever your hand finds to do,” refers to works that are possible. These are tasks and deeds that you, with your skills and abilities and resources can accomplish. Now, there are many things which our hearts wants to do which we’ll never actually do. It is fine to have these desires in our hearts; but if we are to be at all useful, we must not be content with making plans in our hearts, and talking about them. No, we must practically carry out “whatever your hand finds to do.”
The fact is, one good deed is more worth than a thousand brilliant theories.
So let’s not wait for some big opportunity, or wait until just the right sort of situation pops up. Instead let’s do the things we “find to do” day by day. Today is what we have – we have no other time. The past is gone; the future has not arrived; we never shall have any time but the present. So don’t wait until you know more, or can do more, or are more mature before you attempt to serve God. Strive now to bring forth fruit.
Serve God now…but be careful as to how you perform what you find to do –“do it with all your might.” That means, do it promptly; don’t fritter away your life in making plans for what you intend to do tomorrow. As if that could make-up for the laziness of today! No man ever served God by doing things tomorrow. If we honor Christ and are blessed, it is by the things which we do today. So whatever you do for Christ throw your whole soul into it. Don’t give Christ a little grudging labor, done as a matter of course now and then. No, when you serve Him, do it with heart, and soul, and strength.
Where is the might of a Christian? It’s not in ourselves, for we are perfectly weak. No, our strength lies in the Lord of Hosts. Knowing that, let us seek His help; let us proceed with prayer and faith, and when we have done what our “hand finds to do,” let’s wait upon the Lord for His blessing. What we do in this manner will be well done, and will not fail in its effect.
This is a modernized version of the November 26th morning reading, from Charles Spurgeon’s twice daily devotional “Mornings and Evenings.” You can find both the original and modernized or “updated” versions at online bookstores, and you can also find daily doses for free online in both the original and modernized versions (h/t to ReformedOutfitters.com).
