My father always reminded me to use my time and money wisely when I was growing up. He wanted me to learn the value of the dollar, so when it came time for me to make my biggest purchase- a brand new car -he simply watched me sign the papers and hand over the down payment…but none of that money came from his pocket. It came from mine…every single dime.
I joke that he wouldn’t even purchase the car mats for me. Dad wanted me to know the feeling of earning and spending. And that I did. The earning was tough- long evenings in the hospital…but, the spending was no picnic, either. I remember making those car payments….just watching a large chunk of my paycheck slip away into an envelope and off to the billing department.
But, it was all worth it…by God’s grace, I still drive that same car today! I’ll give credit to my husband for the maintenance of the vehicle, but there’s just something special about working hard for something and reaping the rewards for years to come.
Remember how Joseph was placed in a position of prominence during the famine in Egypt in a way that only God could orchestrate? Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the entire land of Egypt, and Joseph moved his entire family there to avoid the famine where they were living. At that time, food was available in Egypt…but that did not last. Resources were becoming scarce in Egypt, too.
What were the people to do?
Joseph had a plan. Instead of giving the food away, he sold this food in exchange for money. When their money ran out, he sold the food in exchange for their livestock. When all their livestock was sold, he bought their fields and had the people serve on the land in exchange for food.
Then, he gave them seed to plant in the ground…for harvest…for food.
Joseph didn’t give the people handouts. They sacrificed, they worked, and finally…they reaped the reward.
The Bible reminds us that when you work hard, you will be blessed for it. Looking back, I value my car so much today because of the amount of effort that went into purchasing it. The reward was all worth it, thanks to a life lesson by Dad.
“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23
~Betsy
*photo from pixabay.com
