Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying: “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze”. (Exodus 31: 1 – 4).
Today, we gather to thank God for his gracious gifts to His children making us professionals in various fields of human endeavor.
The passage above clearly shows that we go to school to acquire knowledge we train to acquire skill, but wisdom and favour come from God.
We are here this day to thank God for making us whatever we are today. Many people who attended the same institutions with us might not be as successful as we are because “it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs but of God who shows mercy (Romans 9: 16).For He says to Moses “I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Romans 9: 15; Exodus 33: 19). We are here to appreciate God’s hand in our successes, in our businesses promotions and upliftments to exalted positions in places we worked or where we are working now.
As the children of Israel prepared to enter the promised land, God warned them of the consequences of arrogating to themselves the credit for whatever success they might make “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, “lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and flocks multiply, and your silver, and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; “who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; “who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end. “then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth’. “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…” (Deuteronomy 8: 11– 18a).
Like the rich fool in Luke Chapter 12, the temptation to forget God’s mercy upon one’s life is always there, then one starts to celebrate himself instead of celebrating God’s mercy.
As we remember and celebrate God’s gracious dealings with us, may He continue to show us mercy, bless us and bless the works of our hands.
Happy Professionals’ Harvest outing.