1 Chronicles 22:16, “Arise and work! The LORD be with you!.”
Two commands are presented in this verse; Arise and Work.
If one is ever going to do anything for God they must arise, emerge, awaken, get up, spring forth! Awaken out of the slumber of life. Emerge out the mundane world. Spring forth out of religion and its traditions and trappings. Get up anew in Christ in order to be doing. Be doing the work of the Father. Be doing the life of Christ lived through you. Be doing the will of God as told through his Holy Spirit and his Word. Be doing what God has called you to do after you have arisen.
The last portion of the passage is implied. Once you arise and begin work, the LORD is with you. He is with you when you arise. He is with you when you begin doing. He is with you while you are doing. He is with you when it is time to lay down the doing and follow him home.
Today’s churches are full of people who are alive in Christ but have never begun the work he called them to do. Little do they know that God Almighty is the same yesterday, today and forever. Meaning he only calls you to the doing that he knows you can do through him.
Whatever is on life’s path has already been approved by him for you. For me. Therefore, I must arise and get to work.
Grace and peace, James
*Scripture from ESV, Crossway Publishers, 2001