Labor Day means so many things to people. Vacations are over. Back to school. Fall’s coming. No more white pants or open toed shoes. But what does Labor Day really mean?
The U.S. Department of Labor website defines it as follows:
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
This strikes me as curious. Oh sure, I knew Labor Day was a day off work, but just to be completely honest, I didn’t know what for, other than just for being a laborer. I’ll take it!
The Department of Labor says that Labor Day is a day to honor workers, folks like you and me, for all we have done for our country, socially and economically, in the past year. I wasn’t completely wrong. Does that sound a little odd to you? It does to me. Honestly, when I go to work, the last thing on my mind is the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. I’m going to labor because I like to spend money. Me being honored for spending money really sounds a little lame to me. I’ll take it!
But, if I really think about it, I don’t think I’m the one, or sorry to say, you’re the one to be recognized for the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. We simply do not have that kind of power and to think we do is called idolatry. We could labor a lifetime and not be able to strengthen, cause prosperity or well-being, without the help of the Lord. If we are strong, prosperous and benefiting, it is not because of us. It is because of Him. I (we) need to remember that, and be thankful.
Let all that I am praise the LORD.
O LORD my God, how great you are!
You are robed with honor and majesty.
You are dressed in a robe of light.
You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;
you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds.
You make the clouds your chariot;
you ride upon the wings of the wind.
The winds are your messengers;
flames of fire are your servants.
You placed the world on its foundation
so it would never be moved.
You clothed the earth with floods of water,
water that covered even the mountains.
At your command, the water fled;
at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away.
Mountains rose and valleys sank
to the levels you decreed.
Then you set a firm boundary for the seas,
so they would never again cover the earth.
You make springs pour water into the ravines,
so streams gush down from the mountains.
They provide water for all the animals,
and the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
The birds nest beside the streams
and sing among the branches of the trees.
You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home,
and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.
You cause grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for people to use.
You allow them to produce food from the earth—
wine to make them glad,
olive oil to soothe their skin,
and bread to give them strength.
The trees of the LORD are well cared for—
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
There the birds make their nests,
and the storks make their homes in the cypresses.
High in the mountains live the wild goats,
and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes.
You made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to set.
You send the darkness, and it becomes night,
when all the forest animals prowl about.
Then the young lions roar for their prey,
stalking the food provided by God.
At dawn they slink back
into their dens to rest.
Then people go off to their work,
where they labor until evening.
O LORD, what a variety of things you have made!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your creatures.
Here is the ocean, vast and wide,
teeming with life of every kind,
both large and small.
See the ships sailing along,
and Leviathan, which you made to play in the sea.
They all depend on you
to give them food as they need it.
When you supply it, they gather it.
You open your hand to feed them,
and they are richly satisfied.
But if you turn away from them, they panic.
When you take away their breath,
they die and turn again to dust.
When you give them your breath, life is created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the LORD continue forever!
The LORD takes pleasure in all he has made!
The earth trembles at his glance;
the mountains smoke at his touch.
I will sing to the LORD as long as I live.
I will praise my God to my last breath!
May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the LORD.
Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth;
let the wicked disappear forever.
Let all that I am praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 104
That’s just a quick rundown on who Created this world and everything in it, who the real laborer is. He’s the One we should honor today. He’ll take it!