The Restorer & The Eleventh Hour
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?
Matthew 20:6(ESV)
Many a time we find ourselves in situations that seem to us we have been cornered, situations where our backs are against the wall. We lament, and cry for help and there is silence, silence that deafens, silence so thick that it pushes you even further, almost out through the wall. But before you fall through the wall, help comes. O! Help comes. Help from the One who is always looking out for you. The One who loves you unconditionally.
Matthew 20:1-16 tells of the Master of the Vineyard and the Labourers therein. This Lord went out very early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard, had an agreement with them and hired them.
For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Matthew 20:1-2
This Lord kept going to the marketplace to hire labourers. He went out at the third hour, sixth hour and ninth hour. There seemed to be a pattern.
And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. Matthew 20:3-5 (ESV)
Following this pattern, one would expect the master to go out again at the twelfth hour or probably not, because office hours would come to an end in the twelfth hour. Not this master because he had other plans.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ Matthew 20:6-7
The lord went out at the eleventh hour and hired still. Hallelujah!
When work was over and the time to pay was at hand, the owner of the vineyard told his accountant to pay those hired at the eleventh hour first. What a master! A master so generous, a master so thoughtful, a master so kind.
8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ Matthew 20:8(ESV)
You may say this is unfair but remember Matthew 20:2. There was an agreement with those hired first. So there's no room for grumbling.
***Why this post at this time of the year? Why now?***
It is a reminder that with our God, anything is possible. He can come through in any way and any how and anywhere. He can follow protocol, He can decide not to.
Those hired in the eleventh hour can be likened to those in life who have been pushed to the extreme with their backs against the wall, with no hope of a turn around.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and
let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:14
When the Master shows up, everything changes. When He restores, there's no gap to fill. He restores completely.
You may have lost so much, you may feel left behind, you may feel things will never workout but be encouraged dear friend because the Master still goes to the marketplace even today. The Master can put 10 years in one.
Just wait for Him and while waiting, pray, build your faith by studying the Word, develop yourself, gain skills needed for where you are going, get the right tools. Be assured that soon enough the Master will look upon you with His unending and unfailing love. He will never allow the clock timeout on you.
Wait for THE RESTORER because He will surely restore you!
Comments
Post a Comment