As a teenager, one of the jobs I despised most while working on my uncle’s farm was cutting thistles. It was hard work that seemed unnecessary.
Then I learned if you didn’t eliminate the entire weed’s root it would just grow back, putting the sheep and cattle at risk of dying if they ate too much of this toxic weed.
In Genesis 3 due to Adam’s sin God said, “Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you.”
One of the consequences of sin was hard work that was unnecessary in the beginning. When you’re work seems painful and fruitless, remember it was due to sin, not God’s original design.
