Daily Devotional | What Do We Gain from Work?

Have you ever asked yourself after a long day of work, “What is the point?” If you have, you’re not alone. Thousands of years ago the author of Ecclesiastes asked the same question. He could relate to the emotional and psychological despair that comes from working hard all day—or your whole life—only to realize that what we’re really looking for remains out of reach.

Throughout Ecclesiastes you’ll notice a lot of talk about work. Pay attention to the words “labor,” “work,” and “toil.” Also pay attention to how many times Ecclesiastes either asks what “gain” there is in work or states plainly that there is no “gain” in work. You may conclude that the author has a low view of work, but that is not true at all. Ecclesiastes does demonstrate a low view of idolizing work, or expecting from our labor something only God can give us.

“Gain” in Hebrew refers to a “leftover portion,” or something that remains. It can be translated as “advantage” or “profit.” In Ecclesiastes, this term not only refers to the reward we expect from our work but also highlights the natural human tendency to expect work to provide more than it was intended to give. This sense of ultimate fulfillment is a “gain” that can only come from God.

When we make work our idol, we ask it to fulfill what only the Creator can do. We will soon see how work is a good gift from God that we should enjoy, but today the author of Ecclesiastes reminds us of what work was never meant to be. Work is not our identity. It does not make God value us more than He already does. It is not our insurance against the unknown. Instead, let’s consider where our trust, hope, and worth truly lies: in Christ our King.

Go Deeper

How does Ecclesiastes’ view of work reflect your own view of work? Where do you find your value and worth? And what role does your vocation play in that?

Pray with Us: Lord Jesus, thank You for all Your good gifts! May the good things of life, we pray, never replace You in our hearts. May we always treasure You as the greatest, most precious gift. Thank You for Your love that is more valuable than life!

BY Dr. Russell L. Meek

Russell Meek teaches Old Testament and Hebrew at Moody Theological Seminary. He writes a regular column on understanding and applying the Old Testament at Fathom Magazine, and his books include Ecclesiastes and the Search for Meaning in an Upside-Down World and the co-authored Book-by-Book Guide to Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary. Russ, his wife, and their three sons live in northern Idaho.