2 Chronicles 4:7-11: a reflection

7He made the ten lamp stands of gold according to the ordinance concerning them; and he set them in the temple, five on the right hand and five on the left. 8He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. He made one hundred basins of gold. 9Furthermore he made the court of the priests, the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid their doors with bronze. 10He set the sea on the right side of the house eastward, toward the south. 11Huram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Huram finished doing the work that he did for King Solomon in God’s house:

As the furnishings of the temple are made and the work brought to completion, we see the worth of skilled work offered to God and finished well. Huram finished doing the work that he did for King Solomon in God's house, the account says, after describing the lampstands, tables, and basins he had made. The work of furnishing God's house was done with skill and care, each piece crafted well, the lampstands and tables and basins made and set in place; and then the work was finished, brought to completion. Skilled work, offered for God's house and carried through to completion, is worthy work, and there is a satisfaction in finishing well what is done for God. This shows the worth of skilled work offered to God and brought to completion. Skilled work offered to God and finished well is worthy work. There is worth in bringing to completion the work God gives. Offer God your skill, and carry the work through to the end. Finishing well what you do for God is a good and worthy thing.

Notice both the skill and the completion of this work. The furnishings of God's house, the lampstands, the tables, the basins, were made with skill and care, each piece crafted well for its place in the temple. And then, the account notes, the work was finished: Huram finished the work he did for God's house. The work was not left half-done, abandoned partway, but carried through to completion. This holds a quiet dignity worth noting. There is worth in skilled work offered to God, in bringing our skill and care to what we do for him and his purposes, crafting it well rather than carelessly. And there is worth in finishing, in carrying the work through to completion rather than leaving it half-done. Work done for God, done with skill and brought to completion, is worthy work, and there is a genuine satisfaction in finishing well what we have done for him. This encourages us to offer God our skill and care in the work he gives us, and to carry it through to completion, finishing well rather than leaving things half-done. We do well to offer God skilled, careful work and to bring it to completion, finding worth in finishing well what we do for him. Offer God skilled, careful work, and carry it through to completion. There is worth in finishing well what you do for God. Do not leave the work half-done; bring it to completion. Skilled work offered to God and finished well is worthy work.

That is worth taking to heart, for skilled work offered to God and brought to completion is worthy work, and we do well to offer our skill and finish well, as the temple furnishings were made with skill and the work finished. We can do our work for God carelessly or leave it half-done; but the furnishings of God's house were crafted with skill and the work carried through to completion. Finish well. Offer God your skill and care in the work he gives you, and carry it through to completion, finding worth in finishing well what you do for him. Offer God skilled, careful work in what he gives you and carry it through to completion, finding worth in finishing well rather than leaving things half-done, as the furnishings of the temple were made and the work brought to completion, showing the worth of skilled work offered to God and finished well, since Huram finished the work he did for King Solomon in God's house after crafting the lampstands, tables, and basins; for the work of furnishing God's house was done with skill and care, each piece crafted well and set in place, and then the work was finished and brought to completion, so that skilled work offered for God's house and carried through to completion is worthy work with a satisfaction in finishing well, which holds a quiet dignity worth noting, since there is worth in skilled work offered to God, in bringing our skill and care to what we do for him rather than doing it carelessly, and worth in finishing, in carrying the work through to completion rather than leaving it half-done, so that work done for God with skill and brought to completion is worthy work with a genuine satisfaction in finishing well, which encourages us to offer God our skill and care in the work he gives and to carry it through to completion, so that we do well to offer God skilled, careful work and bring it to completion.

Lord, as the furnishings of the temple are made and the work brought to completion, I see the worth of skilled work offered to you and finished well. Huram finished doing the work that he did for King Solomon in God's house, the account says, after describing the lampstands, tables, and basins he had made. The work of furnishing your house was done with skill and care, each piece crafted well, the lampstands and tables and basins made and set in place; and then the work was finished, brought to completion. Skilled work, offered for your house and carried through to completion, is worthy work, and there is a satisfaction in finishing well what is done for you. Show me both the skill and the completion of this work. The furnishings of your house were made with skill and care, each piece crafted well for its place in the temple. And then, the account notes, the work was finished: Huram finished the work he did for your house. The work was not left half-done, abandoned partway, but carried through to completion. This holds a quiet dignity worth noting. There is worth in skilled work offered to you, in bringing my skill and care to what I do for you and your purposes, crafting it well rather than carelessly. And there is worth in finishing, in carrying the work through to completion rather than leaving it half-done. Work done for you, done with skill and brought to completion, is worthy work, and there is a genuine satisfaction in finishing well what I have done for you. Take that to my heart. Help me offer you my skill and care in the work you give me, Lord, and carry it through to completion, not leaving it half-done but finishing well, finding worth in bringing to completion what I do for you.