God’s Migrant Workers

Bible Passage: Exodus 23:9

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Read Text and Pray

Exodus 23:9 NASB95

“You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.

What is a migrant worker?

A migrant worker is a person who travels to work outside their country in a seasonal position that is often labor-intensive.

Many migrant workers come from difficult life situations and often arrive at their worksite with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They have very little in this world other than their physical and mental strength to build a life for themselves and their families.

Have you ever thought of yourself as God’s migrant worker?

Recently, Sam learned about migrant workers.

Here are three things that we have in common with the migrant worker…

1. Our home is in another country (The Kingdom of Heaven) and we are only here for a season.

Philippians 3:20–21 NASB95

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Ecclesiastes 3:1–14 NASB95

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace. What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils? I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.

If you don’t know that Heaven is your home this morning, you can change your address right now. God welcomes everyone who turns from their sin and trusts in Jesus and His work alone for their salvation. If you agree with God that you have broken His law and offended Him, that you aren’t good enough to make it right on your own, and that Jesus has taken your punishment on Himself and given you His goodness instead, you will be forgiven of your sin and adopted into God’s family.

If you are trusting in Jesus this morning and you know that this world is not your final destination, remember that the hardships of this life are only temporary and that this season will pass like all seasons do.

2. We are working now because God’s harvest is ready.

John 4:35–38 NASB95

“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. “Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. “For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ “I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”

Mark 4:26–29 NASB95

And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. “But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

My dad always told me that there was work for someone who wanted to work. It might not be glamorous, but it was available. Do you want to work for God this morning?

Some farmers raise cattle, but God raises people. Some farmers grow grain, but God grows people.

One day, one of God’s workers harvested you for Him. Maybe it was a grandparent or parent, a spouse, a friend, a coworker, or a pastor. Now it’s your turn to become His worker and harvest others for Him. Our job isn’t to make people ready to follow Jesus or to convince them to believe the truth about Him. Our job is to spread the message like seed, watch and see what grows, and harvest it when it is ready.

3. We are sending what we earn home so we can have a better life later.

Matthew 6:19–21 NASB95

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

1 Timothy 6:17–19 NASB95

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

It’s hard to wait on the Lord and delay the satisfaction of our work. Let’s keep encouraging each other to be God’s migrant workers so that He has a great harvest and we have a greater reward to look forward to when Jesus returns.

Pray

BENEDICTION

Galatians 6:7–10 NASB95

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.