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“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.”

Ecclesiastes 9:10–12

Edward Everett Hale, who served as Chaplain of the U.S. Senate in the early 1900s, wrote, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, that I ought to do. And what I ought to do, by the grace of God, I shall do.” Each day, every one of us has opportunities to do things for God that will never come again in exactly the same way. We meet people who are lost, people who are discouraged, and people who are suffering. If we are not diligent in our efforts, the opportunities to help them will be lost forever.

The reality is that none of us knows how long we have to live. Moses wrote, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Proverbs 90:12). When we number our days as the Bible teaches, we come up with one—today is the only day that we know we have to serve God and serve others. That means we need to seize every opportunity to work for God, and do all that we can for Him while there is still time.

“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.”

Genesis 14:19–21

When Abraham got the news that his nephew Lot had been captured along with the residents of Sodom, he gathered his trained servants and went to war. Despite facing a coalition of five kingdoms, God granted him a great victory. When Abraham was making his way home, he met Melchizedek and gave him a tithe from the spoils of war. In those days, soldiers were frequently not paid a salary, but were instead allowed to take the possessions of their defeated foe as their compensation. Abraham had every right to keep what his men had won in battle, but, instead, he willingly gave ten percent of what they had taken to Melchizedek.

There was no law that required tithing as of yet, but Abraham recognized that since the victory was God’s rather than his, it was only right that he should acknowledge the help he had received by giving back part of what he had gotten. Robert Rodenmeyer wrote, “There are three kinds of giving: grudge giving, duty giving, and thanksgiving. Grudge giving says, ‘I have to’; duty giving says, ‘I ought to’; thanksgiving says, ‘I want to’.”

There are few subjects more touchy in churches today than giving. People argue about whether they should tithe, how they should determine how much to give, and what is required. That is the wrong focus. If we are looking at the God who freely saved us and gives us all that we have in the first place, we will be trying to figure out how to give more rather than less.

“Then spake Haggai the LORD’S messenger in the LORD’S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD. And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,”

Haggai 1:13–14

In one of his final messages, delivered not long before his death in 1899, D. L. Moody said, “The hope of the church today is in a deep and widespread revival. We are confronted with difficulties that can be met in no other way. The history of revivals proves that such a work must begin at the house of God. Who can doubt that if somehow the church could be thoroughly aroused—not a mere scratching of the surface of our emotions, but a deep heart-work that shall make us right with God and clothe us with power in prayer and service—[we] would witness the mightiest movements of the Holy Spirit since Pentecost?”

Too many Christians in our day are going through the motions of religion. They attend church, sing the songs, put something in the offering plate, and maybe even say “Amen” when there’s a particularly powerful point made in a sermon. But there is not the kind of passionate, fervent, stirred up spirit that we read of in the book of Acts or in the histories of the great works of God in the church through the centuries. Sadly, not only is there little stirring and revival, but there seem to be few who desire to see God’s power displayed. Let us pray with the Psalmist, “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” (Psalm 85:6).

“And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.”

1 Kings 8:54–56

When Hudson Taylor first went to China as a missionary, there were few people actively involved in the work of evangelism. Taylor found that most of the “missionaries” were spending all their time with the British businessmen working in the cities rather than going out and reaching the Chinese with the gospel. Taylor devised a radical plan—to recruit teams of missionaries who would go into the interior of the country and focus on reaching the lost Chinese. But the hardships and obstacles were many, and for a time, Taylor despaired of meeting his ambitious goal.

After a time of prayer, Taylor moved forward, deciding to trust God. He later wrote, “The Lord conquered my unbelief, and I surrendered myself to God for this service. I told him that all responsibility as to the issues and consequences must rest with him; that as his servant it was mine to obey and to follow him.” Taylor launched the independent China Inland Mission, and, by 1876, one of every five missionaries to China was part of this group. Taylor believed God’s promises and acted on them. Our faith is not measured by what we say, but by what we do. If we truly believe God’s promises, then we will claim them and act on them. We will never accomplish what we should for God if we do not trust Him.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

Hebrews 11:6–7

When God told Noah to build an ark to shelter his family from the coming flood, Noah had no point of reference for what he was being instructed to do. He could not look through history books to find examples of other arks or other floods. What was about to happen had never happened before. Yet in faith, Noah responded obediently to what God commanded. Why? What was it about Noah that made him take on a task that would take decades to complete, expose him to contempt and ridicule, and require all of his time and energy? It was what he believed.

Based on his relationship with God, Noah decided to believe that what God said was true and then act on it. Someone said, “The greatest decision in Noah’s life was not his decision to build the ark, it was his decision to walk with God.” Nothing less than that kind of personal relationship with God would have sustained Noah through the long and arduous process of building the massive ark with only the help of his own family.

Every other person in the world refused Noah’s message of warning regarding the coming judgment. But the lack of response did not stop Noah from continuing to preach the truth, just as the lack of rain did not stop him from building the ark. When we choose to believe God in faith and obey Him, we do not need the approval of men.

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Matthew 24:36–39

In His grace and mercy, God delayed the judgment on mankind for more than one hundred years. During that time, as Noah completed the ark, he also sounded the warning that God’s delay did not mean that the judgment would not come. No one listened. In our day, many claim that there is no God and, therefore, no need to prepare for the day when we must stand before Him. But human denial does not change truth. Every one of us will be judged, either in our own righteousness, which falls far short of God’s standard, or in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, applied to our lives by grace through faith.

None of us have any hope of reaching God through our own merit or works. Only by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross can our sins be cleansed. This vital decision is one that cannot be delayed—for as with the people in the days of Noah, we do not know when our lives will end. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). God calls each of us to accept salvation freely offered through Christ’s shed blood, but that offer will not remain forever.

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”

Colossians 4:2–5

Looking at the accomplishments of his life, it’s hard to believe that Charles Spurgeon only lived fifty-seven years. He wrote around 150 books, pastored what was at the time the largest church in the world, ran an orphanage, led a Bible college, and preached four to ten times each week. It is said that he even knew the names of the more than 6,000 members of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. How did all that happen? It happened because he used his time wisely. Spurgeon said, “I wish it could be said of us that we wasted neither an hour of our time, nor an hour of other people’s time.”

While each of us have different gifts, talents, and abilities, all of us get the same twenty-four hours each day in which to work. The reality is that while many people are busy, much of their activity is far from productive. Our society glorifies vacations and retirement, but while there is nothing wrong with taking care of our health and proper rest, most people are not suffering from overwork.

The most precious resource God has entrusted to us is time. And it is up to us to fill the time He has gifted to us with positive and productive effort for Him. No amount of talent can make up for an unwillingness to work. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote:

The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.

“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.”

Colossians 3:8–11

Dr. John R. Rice and his brother Dr. Bill Rice grew up on a cattle ranch in Texas. Once the two evangelists were talking about how sin works in the life of a Christian. Dr. Bill Rice said to his brother, “If you leave one little gate open, every cow in the pasture may get out.” In recounting that conversation, Dr. John Rice said, “A man who consents to a little ‘white lie,’ as you might call it, will go deeper in lying. And one who is intemperate in his speech may grow to cursing. One who allows hate and malice may become a murderer. There is no safe course for one who consents to some sin and lets it go unrebuked, unconfessed, unrepented in this life.”

One of Satan’s more effective techniques that has ruined the life of many believers is to convince them that sin isn’t really a big deal—that we can handle the sins that appeal to us or that we enjoy without any additional consequences. But sin is a process, and left unchecked that process takes us further away from God and further into evil. The lie that we can control sin and keep it in check without getting rid of it completely is devastating, not just to our own lives, but to those around us. The only remedy for sin is for it to be rejected. We must resist temptation and quickly repent when we fail.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.”

Revelation 21:4–6

A massive F3 tornado caused a wave of destruction in Hendersonville, Tennessee in April of 2006. Among the homes destroyed was that of a fireman named Jerrod Hawkins. He was on duty at the time, but his wife, Amy, protected their two boys by lying on top of them when their home was ripped from its foundation. They were spared, but she was paralyzed by falling debris. In response to this tragic story, the television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, with help from more than 2,000 volunteers, rebuilt the family’s home in less than four days. The outpouring of love replaced much of what had been lost in the tornado. But there were some things that are beyond the reach of even the most compassionate and dedicated helpers. They could not give Amy Hawkins back the use of her legs.

There is so much pain and suffering in our world, and it is all because of the first sin in the Garden of Eden. When Adam ate the forbidden fruit, not only was his fellowship with God broken, but the world was cursed. But one day all the saved will gather in Heaven with the Lord, and all the heartbreak, all the injury, and all the loss will be replaced. Tears will never be shed again on that glorious day.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Romans 12:1–2

There are times when even the best Christians are tempted to hold back on what they know they should do for God. They give less, work less, care less, and invest less in the lives of others than they could. There are many reasons for this, but the truth is that God deserves nothing less than the very best of all that we can do for Him. Yet too often we are reluctant to surrender to Him, and try to get away with giving and doing as little as possible.

I read a humorous story that illustrates this principle in action. A pilot and his navigator were shot down and had been surviving for a few days in a tiny life raft. They had no food or water left, and there seemed to be no hope that they would be rescued. Finally the pilot began to pray. “God, you know I haven't lived a very good life. I've been a miserable husband and a terrible father, I've cheated, lied and stolen, and haven't had any use for the church. But God, if you'll save us from dying out here, I promise I'll never...” Just then the navigator interrupted, “Don't say another word! I think I see land!”

The reality is that in light of the mercy of God that keeps us from the eternity in Hell we deserve, anything that God asks of us should be given freely and willingly. It is not in any way unreasonable for us to present even our lives as an offering of gratitude and praise for our salvation.

“To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.”

Isaiah 61:2–4

All of us, who are old enough, remember where we were and what we were doing when we first heard of the horrific terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. The sight of the World Trade Center towers collapsing into rubble was one we will never forget. For a time, there was only a hole in the ground where the foundation of the towers had once stood. Then a new structure, even taller than the destroyed World Trade Center at 1,776 feet, the Freedom Tower, was erected near the same location. Though it does not make up for what was lost, it represents a new start and a new hope for the future.

Many Christians have experienced great loss and suffering in their lives. There is very real pain that comes from living in a fallen world, filled with both evil and sickness. The notion that those who are committed to following Christ will have an easy path may be a comforting one, but it is not taught in Scripture and not seen in history. Instead we have stories of loss, illness, financial difficulty, and even death for the faith. But God does not view our tragedies through human eyes. He sees the larger purpose and has a plan to use even the worst things we endure for good—if we remain faithful and follow Him.

“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:”

Ephesians 1:6–9

We who have trusted Christ as Saviour do not need to have any fear of the future. Our salvation is not something that will be determined when we die or at a final judgment after the world comes to an end—it is already accomplished. It is settled, and has been since the moment Jesus rose from the grave. Because God is not bound by time, He already knows our future. And the finished work of Jesus Christ is our guarantee of Heaven.

Dr. R. A. Torrey said, “When Jesus died, He died as my representative, and I died in Him; when He arose, He rose as my representative, and I arose in Him; when He ascended up on high and took His place at the right hand of the Father in the glory, He ascended as my representative and I ascended in Him, and today I am seated in Christ with God in the heavenlies.”

Our task is not to gain or merit or deserve the salvation we have already been freely given, but to live in a way that brings praise, honor, and glory to God who gave us that great gift. We are not working out of a frantic desire to make sure we do enough to hang on to the gift of salvation, but from a heart overflowing with gratitude for what we have already received. Just as we did not provide our own salvation, we are not responsible to keep it—that is God’s job...and His promise.

“For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

Galatians 2:18–21

It is said that on his first trip to the Holy Land, Dr. R. G. Lee visited Gordon’s Calvary, thought by many to be the place where Jesus was crucified. As the guide talked to the tour group about the history and meaning of the spot where they were standing, and how it had come to be identified as the likely site of the place Jesus died, he asked if any members of the group had been there before. Dr. Lee raised his hand. The guide asked, “When were you here?” Dr. Lee responded, “Two thousand years ago. When Jesus died for me, I died with Him.”

Though many believers never have the opportunity to travel to Israel and see Calvary, there are no believers who have not been to the cross. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation. Yet the cross is about more than just our salvation. It is also a symbol of forfeiting all that we rely on and hold dear for the sake of obedience to God. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Only by repeatedly dying to what we value and rising to live for what God values can we truly live like Jesus.

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:37–39

Even the most steadfast human love reaches an earthly end. The longest marriage in United States history is believed to be that of Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher of North Carolina, who were married on May 13, 1924. They were getting close to marking their eighty-seventh wedding anniversary in 2011 when Mr. Fisher died at the age of 105. His wife passed away two years later, also having reached 105 years of age. The couple left a remarkable legacy of faithfulness and commitment, but not even their love could last forever. Their love on earth ended with their lives.

God’s love is different. Because He is eternal, His love never fails. That love is an integral part of His nature and character. The Apostle John wrote, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). This love lavishly poured out to us makes it possible for us to become part of God’s family through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, even though we do not deserve it.

And that love once accepted, never goes away. No child of God has ever been abandoned or disinherited. That may happen in earthly families, but God’s love is unfailing. Nothing that we do or do not do changes His love toward us. It is as eternal as God Himself, and it never fails. If our standing as God’s children depended on us, we would surely lose His love. Because it is based on His nature, God’s love never fails.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

John 1:1–5

When the Eiffel Tower opened in Paris in 1889, it was the tallest man-made structure on Earth. Rising more than 1,000 feet over the Paris skyline, it is one of the most famous and most visited buildings in the world. But the ground on which the tower was built posed a major challenge to the construction. Because most of the soil was soft and the area was prone to flooding, engineers devised an intricate structure to provide a firm footing for the massive structure. They dug down some fifty feet, filling the spaces with a mixture of cut stone, limestone blocks, and concrete. This allowed the 10,000 tons of iron to form the familiar tower that still stands today as a testimony to the importance of solid foundations.

The society around us likes to question everything. Many people no longer believe there is such a thing as absolute truth. We often hear phrases like “My truth is...” or, “That may be true for you.” But no matter what the majority may believe, there is a firm and settled truth, and God has given it to us in His Word. Because the Bible is the Word of God rather than the words of man, it is not subject to correction, improvement, or revision. It is never out of date, and no one who has built a life upon its principles and truths has erred by doing so. Let the Bible form the foundation for your thinking and actions, and you will not go astray.

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

Hebrews 1:1–3

In His thirty-three years on Earth, Jesus lived a perfect life, fulfilling the law that no one had been able to keep. Because He was sinless, Jesus was qualified to offer His life as the payment for the sins of the world. Jesus did not owe a debt for sin, so His payment can be applied to our account through faith in what He did.

It is vitally important that we understand that the work that accomplished our salvation is completed. “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).

There are so many people who are trying to work their way to Heaven. They hope that by doing more good than bad, by going to church, by being baptized, or by showing charity to others they will earn favor with God. Many believe that one day their lives will be placed in some kind of cosmic scales where they will be weighed and their eternal destiny determined. None of these approaches work. Nor are they needed, because the work of salvation is already finished. Nothing we can do is needed—in fact, Ephesians 2:8–9 tells us that trying to get to Heaven on our own keeps us from receiving the free gift of salvation that God offers.

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:”

2 Peter 3:3–5

When Dr. R. L. Scarborough was pastor of the First Baptist Church of Abilene, Texas, he preached a sermon one morning from the story of Jonah. Over lunch that afternoon, his son asked, “Daddy, do you really believe a great fish could swallow a man and him live inside for three days and three nights?” Dr. Scarborough replied, “Son, if God could make a man out of dust, He made out of nothing, don’t you think He has the power to make a fish that could swallow a man and keep him alive?” The boy said, “Well if you bring God into it, that’s different!”

We live in a day of unbelief. But the opinions of men do not change the truth of God. He remains the Creator, who is all powerful whether people believe and acknowledge it or not. The nature and character of God are not determined or changed by popular vote. The responsibility we have as believers is to maintain our faith regardless of what is going on around us. Unbelief is not new. Peter identified “scoffers” in his day who denied the Creation and the Flood in their attempt to avoid having a God to whom they would one day give an account. But God is real, and He is exactly who and what the Bible declares Him to be. He never changes, and we can rest with complete confidence on every promise in His Word.

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.

Isaiah 43:10–12

Under United States law, a person can be compelled to give testimony in a courtroom, even against his wishes as long as that testimony does not implicate him in a crime. In 2015, James Risen, a two time Pulitzer Prize winning writer for The New York Times, was turned down by the Supreme Court in his attempt not to have to testify in the trial of a government employee who had leaked secret intelligence documents, which Risen had used in his reporting. The court ruled that he had no right to not be a witness when he himself faced no legal jeopardy.

While there may be cases when it makes sense for someone not to want to testify in a criminal or civil court case, the same does not apply in the Christian life. We are called and commissioned to witness to the world of what we have experienced thanks to God’s grace. The salvation we have received should motivate us to be faithful to share this Good News with others. Paul described his motivation to witness this way: “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:” (2 Corinthians 5:14). Yet so often, Christians find it difficult to speak up and talk to lost people. But we don’t need a court order to compel us to testify—we have the command of God that we must obey.

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.”

John 8:12–14

Though the Germans experimented with the use of night vision devices during the Second World War, the equipment required was so large and bulky that it proved impractical for most uses on the battlefield. But over the ensuing years, technological advances made it possible to outfit individual soldiers with the ability to “see” in the dark. During the First Gulf War in 1991, American troops had a huge advantage because they were able to continue to operate with nearly complete mobility even in utter darkness.

As children of God, we have something far better than night vision goggles to guide our steps. We have been given the Bible and the Holy Spirit to help us understand and apply it to our lives. The Christian is not abandoned to make his way through the darkness of the world on his own. There is guidance and direction available for those who are willing to seek and follow what the Bible says. The principles and commandments of Scripture, if followed, ensure that we walk in a way that is pleasing to God.

There are difficult decisions that must be made, and hard choices we sometimes face. But a person who is committed to doing what God wants will find guidance and direction in the Scriptures. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”

John 12:24–26

From the tragedy of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, some amazing stories of courage and heroism emerged. One of those was the story of Todd Beamer, who along with other passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 rushed the cockpit to attempt to regain control of the plane from the hijackers. Though the plane crashed, their sacrifice meant that it did not hit its intended target in Washington. This story traveled around the world, and a film crew from Russia came to interview Todd’s wife Lisa about his courage and sacrifice.

Part of the interview was filmed at the church the couple attended, in the room where Todd had taught his Sunday school class. On the wall was a depiction of the gulf between God and man caused by sin being bridged by the cross. The leader of the Russian team was fascinated. He had never seen anything like that before and wanted to know more. Before he left the United States, he had accepted Christas his Saviour, and on his return made sure that the image of the cross was included in the broadcast across Russia.

None of us know the full scope of the influence we have on others. There are people we may never know or meet who can still be touched through our faithful service and willingness to sacrifice for the cause of Christ. Life is not about us, but about Jesus.

“Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”

2 Timothy 2:10–13

According to one of the stories told about the life of Patrick working to bring the Gospel to Ireland, he had led King Aengus to the Lord. The king wanted to be baptized as a symbol of his new faith. During the preparation for baptism, Patrick accidentally stabbed the king’s foot with the sharp pointed end of his staff without knowing it. It was not until after they came out of the water and Patrick saw the blood that he realized what had happened. When he apologized and asked the king why he hadn’t said anything, Aengus replied, “I thought it was part of the ceremony!”

In our day the idea that Christianity is easy, and that if we love God He will make sure nothing bad happens to us is common, but it is wrong. The Christian life described in Scripture includes struggle, suffering, and hardship. There is grace and strength available to us for every trial, but there is no promise that trials will not come. In fact, it is exactly the opposite. “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

Rather than trying to find the soft path that does not require struggle and sacrifice, we should take up our crosses and endure without griping and complaining whatever difficulties we face. The hardship we endure pales in comparison to what Christ suffered on the cross, and no sacrifice for Him is too great.

“There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.”

John 4:7–10

The Jewish people in Jesus’ day regarded the Samaritans with disdain and contempt, which the Samaritans returned in full measure. The Jews regarded them as lesser because their ancestors had intermarried with Gentiles, and because they did not go to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple. Jewish rabbis would walk miles out of their way to avoid traveling through Samaria. Yet Jesus intentionally routed His trip to Jerusalem through that despised land. Then He went further, taking time to offer eternal life to a woman who was outcast from polite society because of her immoral life.

The Saviour set this example for us, because we need the reminder that all people, regardless of race, religion, social class, or lifestyle need to be saved. There should be no barriers that keep us from sharing the gospel with others. When Peter was sent to Cornelius, the first Gentile convert, he expressed the truth that salvation is available to all who believe: “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:34). There are no people who are off limits or out of bounds when it comes to sharing the gospel.

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Ephesians 2:6–9

Someone once asked Dr. H. A. Ironside, “There are hundreds of religions in this country, and the followers of each sect think they’re right. How can people like us find out what really is the truth?” Ironside responded, “Did I hear you say there are hundreds of religions? That’s strange; I’ve heard of only two. There are many shades of differences in the first, but they all expect salvation by doing. The other group is all who have been saved by something already done for them.”

There is only one way to Heaven. It is popular in our day to deride the concept of absolute truth and exclusive belief. We are told that while something may be true for us, it isn’t necessarily true for everyone. There is great emphasis placed on accepting differing beliefs as being of equal value and validity. That message may be widely accepted and comforting to many, but it is false. Truth is still truth, and God’s truth is not subject to the whims or opinions of man.

God has decreed that only those who accept the gift of salvation on His terms can receive it. There are no alternative or back up plans available. The desire to gain salvation on our own apart from what God has already provided is an indication of the rebellion and pride that lurks in our hearts as a result of sin. There is no room for pride in those who choose to accept God’s offer of salvation solely through His grace.

“Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.”

Ecclesiastes 5:18–20

It is not an exaggeration to say that many people do not enjoy their jobs. The image of people trudging off to labor they dread fills our culture, from comedy to drama to academic studies. There is an old story about a man who said, “I dig ditches to earn money to buy bread to give me strength to dig ditches.” There are many who are just putting in their time, dreaming of the day when they can retire. For most people in our society, work is at best a necessary evil.

The Bible, however, does not present work as something to be dreaded, but something to be celebrated and enjoyed. In fact, we should be grateful that God has given us the ability to work. Work is God’s plan for building His kingdom, providing for our needs, and equipping us with the financial resources to help others. Work is not a curse or an evil, but a gift, and we should treat it as such. If we adopt the attitude of the world toward work, choosing to gripe and complain rather than rejoice, we are cheating ourselves of the blessing that comes with joyful labor. The task may not be pleasant or easy, but it has a purpose, and we should do it with glad hearts.

“I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

Revelation 22:16–17

In the Middle East today, just as in Bible times, water is precious. It is vital to life, both of animals and people, to have a ready supply of clean water. Often in Bible times, there was intense labor required to find water. Jacob’s Well, where Jesus met the Samaritan woman and offered her water that would keep her from ever thirsting again, is some 135 feet deep. Isaac, on more than one occasion, clashed with the people of the land over the rights to wells that provided clean water. Even in our modern society, the price of water, particularly pure and clean water, is quite high.

Yet God offers living water to all who believe, at no charge. Dr. John R. Rice said, “It is not hard to be saved. The Bible never promises salvation to those who weep. Salvation cannot be earned by weeping, nor by our mourning. God is not a hardhearted judge who must be bought by good deeds or touched by tears. He has already offered us salvation full and free and eternal life in His Son Jesus Christ.”

The responsibility that falls on those of us who have already been saved is to be filled with the Holy Spirit and join Him in saying, “Come,” to those who have not yet tasted the living water. Each of us has someone—a parent, a pastor, a teacher, a friend—who invited us to come and drink freely. In turn, we must fulfill our responsibility to invite those around us who are lost.

“So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.”

Ecclesiastes 2:9-11

The comedian Jay Leno is an avid car buff. For many years he has built up a collection that now numbers nearly 250 cars and motorcycles. Some of them are more than 100 years old, while others are the latest modern technological marvels. He has amphibious cars that can drive into water and motorcycles in every shape and size. The total value of his collection is estimated to be more than $50 million. Yet, not one of those cars will last forever.

Every one of us has one lifetime—and none of us know how long that life will be. No matter how carefully we watch our diet, exercise, and take care of our health, there are no guarantees of tomorrow for any of us. We have one opportunity to accomplish the things God has placed before us. Every day that we spend without doing anything to advance His kingdom is a day without eternal benefit.

There is nothing wrong with working hard and enjoying the fruits of our labor in this life. But ultimately, all the things of earth will be destroyed and vanish. The only things that will remain are the things that are eternal. This places a responsibility on us to use our time and resources to accomplish as much for Christ as we can. God is not opposed to us having nice things, but He wants our focus to remain on what is truly meaningful.

“And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”

Colossians 1:21–23

When Stefaan Engels was a boy, he was diagnosed with asthma, and cautioned to avoid physical activity. Engels grew up to become one of the most noted extreme marathoners in history. Not content with running marathons occasionally, he established a new record by running a marathon every single day for 365 straight days! Engels told an interviewer, “I don’t always feel like running. I am running just as Joe Average goes to work on Monday morning, whether or not he feels like it.”

There is an amazing amount of good that can be accomplished for God by simply doing what is right over and over and over again. The temptation most of us face is to get bored and look for something new and exciting, but the reality of the Christian life is that it is by design repetitive. We are meant to continue to do right day after day. And if we do, if we are faithful to continue on the right path, we can go much further than anyone might have expected.

Over the course of his marathon year, Engels covered roughly 9,500 miles. He didn’t run at a blazing speed, but because he kept running day after day, he accomplished a feat no one had ever done before. Like the Children of Israel marching around the walls of Jericho day after day, we need to remain faithful and trust that God will provide the harvest in due time.

“And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.”

Luke 8:1–3

The name Humphrey Monmouth is not well known in our day, but he had a major impact on the cause of Christ that has endured for hundreds of years. When William Tyndale began his work to translate the Bible into the English language, it was illegal. Tyndale was forced to go into hiding to complete his massive project. Monmouth shared the vision of the importance of people being able to read the Scriptures for themselves.

A wealthy cloth merchant, Monmouth covered Tyndale’s expenses while he did his translation. Then he used his connections in shipping and commerce to smuggle the newly printed Bibles from Germany back to England. Thousands of Tyndale New Testaments were printed, in large part because of the courage and generosity of a now-forgotten businessman who believed he could make a difference.

Not all of us stand and preach in a church or go to a mission field, but all of us can play a vital role in God’s work in our world by using what He has given us for His Kingdom. For the church to operate as it should, it must have the contributions from the different members, each playing the role and doing the jobs God has equipped them to do. “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16).

“For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.”

Hebrews 13:11–14

When God called Abraham to leave Ur, he spent the rest of his life as a nomad, living in tents and moving from place to place. Abraham did eventually reach the Promised Land after many years had passed, but he himself did not live to see the full scope of what God had promised. “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

As children of God we are not meant to be too comfortable in this world. As the old song put it, we are, “Only passing through.” The danger of being settled in the world is illustrated for us in the life of Lot. When he split from his righteous uncle Abraham and went his own way, he placed his tent so that it looked toward Sodom—and it wasn’t long before he was living there. Lot lost his family, and his character and reputation were destroyed because he became comfortable enough with sin to settle where it was the worst.

We are not meant to withdraw from the world into monasteries. Sin cannot be overcome by geographical isolation, because we carry it with us in our old nature. But we are not to fall in love with the world or the things of the world. Instead, we are to love the eternal things of God.

“And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.”

Exodus 32:22–24

While Moses was on Mt. Sinai with God, the Children of Israel came to Aaron and asked him to make an idol they could worship. More interested in pleasing the people than obeying God, Aaron complied. But when Moses returned and was angry at the drunken immorality and idol worship on display, Aaron refused to take responsibility. Instead, even though he had fashioned the golden calf himself, Aaron blamed the fire.

We may say that is ridiculous, and it is. But many times the excuses we give for doing wrong aren’t any better. I read about a woman who had been pulled over by a policeman for using her phone while driving. She indignantly protested, “I wasn’t texting and driving. I was just on Facebook!” As long as we are blaming the fire, or someone else, or the devil, we will not effectively deal with our wrongdoing.

It is only when we accept personal responsibility that the process of repentance and restoration can begin to work in our lives. The presence of excuses reveals that we are still holding on to our pride, and unwilling to let go of our sin. Though we may fool some people with excuses and shifting blame (although usually not as many as we think) God sees through our rationalization, and demands an accounting. If we want a close relationship with Him, we cannot blame the fire.

“And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,”

Acts 20:18–20

Many events in life are seasonal. There are a variety of hunting seasons for different animals. Sports teams do not play year round, but rather each sport has a season. The same is true in the natural world. There is a planting season and a harvesting season, just as God promised would continue: “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22).

But there are some things that are never out of season—they are always appropriate. And one of those is our testimony and witness for God. There are no “off days” when it does not matter if we let down our guard and live like the world. There is no “pre-season” when the results don’t matter in the final standings. There are no “do overs” where we get to go back and change our response to temptation. Every day is a unique opportunity to live for God that will never be repeated.

The successful Christian life is not a few seasons of productivity and obedience, but rather a continued day in and day out pattern of faithfulness. When we do what is right over and over again, we will always be in season. In his final meeting with the leaders of the great church at Ephesus, Paul was able to challenge them effectively because of the pattern they had seen in his life.

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

2 Corinthians 4:16–18

Experienced pilots say one of the most difficult and dangerous conditions for flying is being completely surrounded by fog or clouds. With no visual points of reference, it is easy to become disoriented. Pilots report not being able to tell if they are climbing or falling, or even flying upside down. Investigators believe that this kind of confusion was responsible for the plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy, Jr. and his wife in 1999. Kennedy was only rated for VFR—visual flight rules—as a pilot. But the plane was caught in fog, and crashed, killing all those on board.

It is very difficult for us to move forward when we cannot see the path clearly. But God calls us to live by faith in what we cannot see. The Bible and church history are filled with examples of people who simply took God at His word, despite not having any tangible indication that what He promised was even possible. No one who has trusted what God said has ever been let down.

We sometimes think that we would trust God more if He showed us part of His plan, or if we could figure out for ourselves how things might work out. But God’s plan does not work that way. We have the instruments of the Bible to follow, and when we cannot see anything else and do not know which way to go, we must simply follow His Word.

“Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Acts 15:24–26

In 1997, Bob Simmons was riding high. He had just led the Oklahoma State football team to their first winning season in ten years. But a serious kidney problem threatened to derail his career, and perhaps even end his life. In a very rare case, his wife Linda was a perfect match and able to serve as an organ donor. As a nurse, she understood the risks and complications that donating a kidney could pose, but after much prayer, the couple agreed that she would give her husband a kidney. Just before they were separated to go into surgery, she reached over and took her husband’s hand and told him things were going to be fine—and the surgery was a success. Her love for her husband led Linda Simmons to risk her own life to save his.

The love that we have for God is not something we create on our own, but rather a response to His love first extended to us. “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The result of that love should be a life that is lived for His glory, instead of one that is focused on self. The committed Christian life is not a guarantee against ever experiencing hardship and suffering. In fact, it is the opposite. There will always be those who oppose God’s work and we may be called on to face great difficulty and persecution. We should pay that price willingly.

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18

Ever since Jesus left His disciples with the promise that He would return, God’s people have looked forward to His return. The Rapture will reveal the difference between those who are genuine believers and those who merely profess to be followers of Christ. If you pass a powerful magnet over a pile of metal shavings, they will be drawn up to meet it. However, if you spray paint a pile of wood shavings black, they may look very much like the metal pieces on the outside, but the magnet will not draw them.

The hope of Christ’s return is only a comfort to those who are secure in Him. Many young people have experienced a stab of panic at returning home and not finding anyone there. There are even stories of college pranks where a sleeping student is awakened by a trumpet only to find all of his roommates have vanished. But those of us who have been saved, who have placed our faith in Christ alone have nothing to fear from the Rapture.

Though the Bible makes it clear that God’s design does not include us knowing when that event will take place, the truth of the Rapture is a wonderful blessing and comfort to us. It should also be a powerful motivation to us to carefully guard the way in which we live. “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

Romans 10:13–15

In January of 1815, a massive British force was bearing down on the city of New Orleans. The Americans, under General Andrew Jackson, dug into their defenses and did their best to prepare for what would be the final battle of the War of 1812. The Americans won an overwhelming victory, which saw one third of the entire British force either killed, wounded, or captured. The victory made Andrew Jackson a national hero, paving the way for his later election as president of the United States.

The most unusual feature of the Battle of New Orleans was not the lopsided outcome, but that it was fought after the peace treaty to end the war had already been signed. On December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent had been signed in Paris, which laid out the terms for the end of the war. If news had been able to travel more swiftly in those days, the battle would never have been fought at all—and hundreds of lives would have been spared.

Those of us who have trusted Jesus as Saviour receive, along with our salvation, a great responsibility. We are God’s plan to take the message of salvation to a lost and dying world. We are their only hope. There is no fallback plan. If the news does not reach them in time, they will die in their sins. The only way they can hear is if we tell them.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

John 3:16–18

Without question, John 3:16 is the best-known verse in the entire Bible. It beautifully presents the essence of God’s nature and offers us hope of eternal life. Martin Luther referred to it as “the Bible in miniature” because it sums up the message of Scripture so well. Yet though the verse is well known, many who could quote it have never received the gift of eternal life offered through Jesus Christ for themselves.

In His conversation with Nicodemus, a respected leader of the Pharisees, Jesus made the essential requirement of salvation crystal clear. “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Because of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden, every man and woman born into this world is born a sinner, and in need of a Saviour. We do not start out life innocent, but condemned.

There are not many ways to God. The only way to reach Heaven is to accept the gift of salvation. God’s plan required the death of Jesus Christ on the cross to make payment for our sins, and He raised Jesus from the dead after three days. Nothing we can do or not do earns us merit with God. Our only hope is to believe that the sacrifice of Jesus will cover us, and fully trust Him alone to take us to Heaven.

“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

2 Timothy 1:5–7

I saw a rather amazing study not long ago that revealed that one out of five gift card recipients never actually use the cards they are given. At the time of the study, the unused cards totaled nearly a billion dollars. That is a staggering amount of unused and unclaimed gifts. Researchers revealed that the number one reason cited for not using gift cards, by roughly half the people, was that they just didn’t have time. Another quarter said they had either lost the card, or that it had expired before they got around to using it. What a waste!

That waste pales in comparison to the loss suffered when Christians fail to use their spiritual gifts. Speaking of those gifts, Paul wrote, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal” (1 Corinthians 12:7). The gifts God has entrusted to us are not meant to be put on a shelf and admired, but rather put to work. The home, the church, and the country all suffer when we ignore the gifts we have been given.

If you gave someone a gift card but then later found out they had never used it, you would think long and hard before giving them another one. In the same way, if we do not use what God has already given us, why should we expect Him to give us more? Use what you have for His Kingdom today.

“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

Matthew 6:31–34

In one of the early Peanuts cartoons, a little girl named Marcie says, “Don’t worry about the world ending tomorrow. It’s already tomorrow in Australia!” The truth is that many people are worried about the future. And certainly there is much uncertainty and danger in our world. There are plenty of things that could go wrong. Yet Jesus tells His followers not to worry. The future will have troubles, but God will still be there.

Too many times we act as though God is taken by surprise by the things that befall us. While the events of life may catch us off guard, nothing ever causes God to revise His plans. He already knows not only what will happen, but also how we will respond. The world may worry about the future, but God’s children should not. Instead, we should trust that as we seek His Kingdom as our priority in life, He will provide for our needs and guide our path.

The command against worry is not a promise that nothing will ever go wrong. In fact, Jesus tells us that the coming day will have “sufficient” trouble—a word that indicates a full supply. The cure for worry is not that everything will go the way we would prefer, but that we remember God will be in control. Corrie ten Boom said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.”

“As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

1 Thessalonians 2:11–13

When Sir Walter Scott was dying, a friend came to visit and asked if he could do anything for the great author. Scott asked him to read a little. The friend, looking at the vast library filled with histories and novels, including many Scott had written, asked which book he should read. Scott replied, “Why do you ask that question? There is but one book—bring the Bible.”

The most precious resource we have is the Word of God. We take our ready access to the Scriptures for granted, but for most of history, only a few people had copies of the Bible that they could actually read. And even today there are many people that do not have even one verse of Scripture translated into their language. In fact, it is estimated that over a billion people do not have the Word of God available in their native tongue.

Yet with our multiple copies of the Bible, do we fail to read and treasure what God has spoken to us? How many Christians take the time to give thanks to God for the gift of the Bible? How many hold it in high regard, refusing to put their own opinions or the opinions of others over what God has declared? The Bible is perfect, the revelation of the purpose and plan of God for our lives. We should read it and heed it and treasure it as long as we live.

“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

Matthew 25:10–13

The return of the Lord is not a theoretical possibility that might someday occur but also might never happen. It is not an empty promise concocted to give comfort to people who are struggling with the present by giving them a hope for the future. It is every bit as certain as the first coming of Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem. We know that it is going to happen, but we must accept that we are not meant to know when it will take place.

Dr. John R. Rice said, “Oh, a Christian ought to live as if Jesus might come today. And well He might. He will come one day, suddenly, unannounced. And how ashamed will be those who are not living for the Saviour. So a Christian had better be thinking about the future. I have a time coming when I must give an account, so I had better be ready for it. I had better get living for God so that I will be so glad when He comes.”

God could have given us a definite date for the Lord’s return, but He knows that many people would live however they like up until the day before and then try to make things right at the last minute. Instead He commands us to be ready today, and if Jesus does not come today, to be ready tomorrow. The truth of the unknown date and time of Christ’s return should produce a continued pattern of holiness and obedience in our daily lives.

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

Hebrews 10:35–38

Dr. Curtis Hutson liked to tell the story of a man who was preparing for a flight. He was somewhat nervous about flying, and in the airport he passed a machine that sold life insurance policies. When he saw that for just $3 he could buy a $100,000 life insurance policy that would pay in the event of a crash, he decided that was a bargain price for something that would at least let him leave something for his family if the worst should occur and made the purchase. Feeling better, he decided to get something to eat before boarding the plane. After his dinner at the Chinese restaurant, he cracked open his fortune cookie and read, “Your recent investment will pay big dividends.”

All of us face trials and uncertainties about the future. In truth, as much as we plan and prepare for what is to come, we will be taken by surprise. The idea that we can control what happens is a delusion. Only God controls events. Yet that truth is our source of confidence for an uncertain world. No matter what happens, we can rely on God and walk in faith, trusting Him to bring His purpose to pass. Our confidence is not shaken by unforeseen events if it is placed in God rather than in ourselves.

When we lose our faith, it is an indication that our trust was misplaced. Too often we rely on our ability, strength, and planning rather than simply doing our best while relying on God’s unlimited power.

“That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Ephesians 1:12–14

In his novel Bleak House, Charles Dickens described the state of the legal system in England with its long delays and the impact that had on citizens seeking justice. Dickens told of the lengthy case of a contested estate, Jarndyce and Jarndyce, that took many years to settle. Many doubted it would ever end. Dickens wrote “Over for good! When we heard this unaccountable answer, we looked at one another quite lost in amazement. Could it be possible that the will had set things right at last, and that Richard and Ada were going to be rich? It seemed too good to be true. Alas, it was!” By the conclusion of the long drawn out case, all of the money in the estate had been eaten away by legal fees, and Richard never saw a dime of the money that was left for him.

An earthly inheritance may be lost due to fraud, the passage of time, or economic calamity, but what has been promised to us as children of God can never be taken away. As a sign of God’s intention to fulfill His promises, He has given us the Holy Spirit as a down payment—earnest money—on what we will one day receive. Often, executors of earthly estates are required to post a bond that guarantees they will faithfully perform their duties. God has given us something far better than a financial guarantee. He has given us the indwelling Holy Spirit who will never leave or forsake us.

“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”

Philippians 3:17–20

In order for someone who is born in another country to become a citizen of the United States, they must go through the process of naturalization. There are several requirements, including passing a test on United States history and government, the ability to read and speak English, and a willingness to take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States.

We became citizens of Heaven at the moment of salvation. There is no test or process involved—Jesus already did everything necessary, and we simply claim His offer in faith. That is not the end of our salvation, however, but merely the beginning. A person who becomes a United States citizen, but never votes, pays taxes, works, or does anything to better the country is a poor citizen indeed. And a Christian who does nothing for the kingdom of God is a poor citizen of Heaven.

The Lord could take us to Heaven immediately upon our salvation. Our eternal destiny is already settled at that moment. But our temporal duty is to use the time we have here on Earth to live fruitful and productive Christian lives. One day we will give an account to God of how carefully we lived as citizens and representatives of the Kingdom of Heaven, and if we are faithful, we will be able to do that with joy.

“The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”

John 10:13–16

Recently, I saw a survey that measured the effectiveness of the marketing for the Coca Cola company. According to their estimates, 91 percent of the world’s population has heard of Coke. Three quarters have seen Coke, and 51 percent, have tasted it for themselves. That is an impressive level of market penetration. By contrast, a recent missionary survey estimated that only 10 percent of the world’s 7.5 billion people have heard a clear presentation of the gospel even once. And this is not just a problem in other nations. The latest Gallup survey in America found that a full third of those under the age of 35 are “nones,” having no religious interest or affiliation.

The only way they will hear is if someone tells them. Jesus is no longer in this world, so if people are to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, then they must hear it from us. The church needs a renewed sense of responsibility and urgency about reaching the lost. The fact that marketers, advertisers, and brand managers are more committed to selling products and making money than Christians are to obeying God and reaching the lost should break our hearts and encourage us to change our ways. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:34).

“Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”

Psalm 10:1–4

Ever since the Garden of Eden, the devil has been successfully convincing people to look to themselves rather than to keep their focus on God. When we look away from Him, we lose the absolute standard of truth and find it easy to believe lies. This focus is especially needed by Christians in our day when so much of the world around us is filled with inward looking people. Our thoughts, ideas, and philosophies are not a solid foundation on which to build our lives.

Though Robert Schuller pastored a church of thousands in California for many years and had a widely viewed television program, the “Hour of Power,” his teaching was not based on Bible truth, but on what he felt would be uplifting and encouraging to people. In one of his books Schuller wrote, “Classical theology has erred in its insistence that theology be God-centered and not man-centered.” It is no wonder that with his focus not on God, his doctrine was filled with grave errors.

There are no mistakes in the revelation God has given us in His Word. If we fill our minds with His truth, we will stay on the right path. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”

John 12:24–26

The life of Teddy Roosevelt reads more like a novel than a biography. Western cattleman, soldier, police commissioner, avid outdoorsman, hunter, and president of the United States were just some of the roles he played. He survived an assassination attempt while running for president, and even though he had been shot, insisted on finishing his speech before going to the hospital! Yet as a young boy Roosevelt had been weak and sickly, and his survival to adulthood was in question. He greatly valued his years of labor in the clear Western air, believing they prepared him for the active life he led. Roosevelt said, “There has never yet been a man who led a life of ease, whose name is worth remembering.”

The Christian life is not meant to be a life of ease and leisure. Instead we are called to work. Even before the Fall, God had assignments and duties for Adam to fulfill. “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Though salvation requires no effort at all on our part, the One who gave us this gift is worthy of our daily, consistent, and repeated effort. Christ calls us to follow Him as a disciple, not to sit on our hands waiting for His return.

“And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Luke 12:18–21

Vance Havner told the story of missionaries who were sailing to Africa to begin their work for God. The captain of the ship was not a Christian, and he regarded their sacrifice as foolish. At one point he laughed at the missionaries and said, “You’ll die over there.” One of the missionaries responded, “Sir, we died before we left.”

This life is fleeting at best, yet all around us are people, including some Christians, who are living as if this world is all that matters. The popular bumper sticker reads: “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Though we know that philosophy is flawed and erroneous, too many people are drawn away by the temporary rather than focusing on the permanent. The Christian life is lived in this world, but to please God, it must be lived by the values of the next.

The size of our barns—our bank accounts, our houses, our cars, our savings—does not determine whether our lives are right or wrong. Wealth does not necessarily mean God’s blessing, and poverty does not necessarily mean His disfavor. The important thing is the direction of our heart. Are we focused on God and His kingdom, or on the temporal? We can start out well, but not finish well, as Paul noted concerning Demas: “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world…” (2 Timothy 4:10).

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

James 1:12–15

Since the time of ancient Greece, laurel wreaths have been used as a symbol for victory. They were distributed to the winners of events in the early Olympic games, and later became more widely used in other fields. The Romans adopted the practice, and used the wreath to symbolize important military victories. Julius Caesar was voted the honor of wearing a laurel wreath on all public occasions by the Roman Senate in recognition of his many triumphs.

As Christians, the Bible promises that there are rewards in Heaven for Christians who are faithful to God. One of those is called the “crown of life.” This is not “eternal life”—that comes only through trusting Christ as our Saviour. But it is a reward that will give honor to God throughout eternity. It is meant for those whose love for God is strong enough to motivate them to endure and resist temptation and triumph over sin in their daily lives. None of us will ever be perfect or sinless, but we can and should sin less as we grow in grace.

Often our focus is on the sin and trying to overcome it by strength of will or character. However, the most important tool in defeating temptation is not found in our own power but in our love for God. The more that we love Him, the more we will want to avoid sin. When our hearts are not filled with love for God, we are vulnerable to the temptations that promise to fill the void.

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

Colossians 3:1–4

The evangelist D. L. Moody told a story about an elderly Christian lady who was noted in her church for her cheerful spirit, even though illness had confined her to her bed. One day two friends went to visit the rundown building where she lived in the attic. One of them remarked on the darkness and dirt of the second floor, but the other said, “It’s better higher up.” By the time they reached the third landing, the woman said, “Things look even worse here.” But her friend simply repeated, “It’s better higher up.” When they finally reached the room, they found a smiling woman in the bed. The room was tiny and cramped, and one of the visitors said, “It must be very difficult for you to be here like this.” The woman in the bed replied, “It’s better higher up!”

The Lord does not promise us a life without problems when we become His children. Instead He promises grace, peace, and strength for every challenge. He does care about our struggles and burdens, but His focus (as ours should be) is primarily on the eternal. The Apostle Paul, who experienced great persecution and suffering wrote, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Our task is to keep our focus on what really matters, and keep looking up. If our hearts are fixed on Heaven, the burdens of life will be lessened.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”

Hebrews 11:1–4

Jan Hus, more commonly known in America as John Huss, was one of the earliest to stand against the abuses and heresies of the Catholic church in his day. Heavily influenced by John Wycliffe to prioritize the Bible over tradition and church doctrine, Hus wielded a powerful influence that sparked the ire of the Pope. He was invited to address the Council of Constance under a guarantee of safe conduct, but was quickly arrested and put on trial for his teaching. Though Hus offered to recant any doctrine that conflicted with Scripture, no one was able to show where he disagreed with the Bible. Despite that, Hus was sentenced to be burned at the stake. His last words were, “What I taught with my lips, I seal with my blood.”

More than 700 years have passed since the martyrdom of Jan Hus, yet his influence and example remain. Most of us will not be called on to die as martyrs, but we should be just as faithful and committed to the truth. The Christian faith is not just academic—it is meant to be practical, applied, and lived out day after day. It is not just the dramatic moments of conflict or sacrifice that create a testimony and have an impact, but the consistent life of daily obedience and devotion to God that makes a faithful life.