The Futility of Workaholism

"It is vain for you to rise up early,

To retire late,

To eat the bread of painful labors;

For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep."

Psalm 127:2

Although the Bible never mentions the word "workaholic", this verse certainly speaks to it. God doesn't want us to be slothful, but He doesn't want us to work so much that we neglect worship of Him, our relationship with our family, or the rest we need. God established rest from work and He intends for us to follow His example. When we feel we have to work beyond reasonable hours to get what we need we rob God of the honor of blessing us. "God gives to those who have learned to rest in Him, not to those who strive in their own strength. In the words of the Psalmist as translated by the NASB, 'For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.' Put in its simplest terms, the blessings of God are never gained by self-effort, no matter how fervent or how prolonged. God’s blessings are the product of His grace, appropriated by faith, not works. Work is futile when we strive, by means of it, to gain God’s blessings." (Bob Deffinbaugh

Daily Bread

 "Give us each day our daily bread. "

Luke 11:3

The Lord tells us to ask for bread. Real bread, daily physical provisions. Dave Guzik says,  "Early theologians allegorized "daily bread". They couldn't imagine a mundane thing like bread in such a majestic prayer as this. Calvin said of interpretations that fail to see God's interest in the mundane: 'This is exceedingly absurd.' God does care about everyday things." In Luke 12:6-7 Jesus says, "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." If God won't forget the sparrows, He surely won't forget us. We are valuable to God. He loves us and wants us to ask Him for what we need so that He can provide for us. This is for His glory and for our good.

If You Know It, Show It

"and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts 

with food and gladness.”

Acts 14:17

Throughout the Bible we see God's goodness. From Genesis to Revelation we see His faithful provision for all man's needs. Living where I do, I see God's goodness even to the wildlife that visit our homestead. Have you ever noticed how the deer are perfectly camouflaged from predators? Or how they always seem to have enough to eat? Jesus mentioned that the sparrows would always be cared for, and since that's true how much more God would care for us His beloved children. It's so easy for man (and woman) to forget his Maker and Provider. But Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides, always leaves a witness to His goodness. It's up to those of us who know it -- to show it.

Work is Good

"There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?" 

Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

We work all our lives to put away enough money so that we no longer have to work. As if work is something to abhor. But Solomon tells us here that it's good to labor; that it's as good as eating and drinking. God is the one who provides the work. It is to our enjoyment when we acknowledge His provision with thanks and complete our tasks for His glory. "Everyone gets certain gifts from God such as life, food, drink and work, but only the children of God who walk with Him faithfully get the gifts of enjoyment and satisfaction. This is a great secret, that our stuff and our satisfaction are two different things and that our satisfaction doesn't come from our stuff, but from our Savior." -- David Fairchild

This Day

"Give us this day our daily bread."

Matthew 6:11

Jesus taught His disciples to ask the Father for their daily bread. God wants us to depend upon Him day-to-day and trust Him to provide what we need. He faithfully provided daily manna for the Israelites in the wilderness. He faithfully sent the ravens to bring daily bread and meat to Elijah during his exile. And during the drought in Zarephath, God faithfully filled the widow's bowl with flour and her jar with oil daily, until the rains came. Whatever our need is this day, God will provide. No more, no less. He is faithful and He will do it. 

Sparing Nothing

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?"

Romans 8:32

If we are tempted to think God is withholding some good thing from us, all we need do is consider that He has already given us the most prized possession He has. His Son. And He did so when we were far from Him, living out of His will, without a thought for Him. Enemies of the cross of Christ. Out of His love, God has already met our greatest need -- the need for a Savior. It is only logical, then, that He will also given us all the lesser things we need. In the words of Ray Steadman, "If someone thinks enough of you to give you a costly, brilliant, beautiful, flawless diamond, do you think he will object when you ask him for the box that goes with it?" 

God Goes Ahead of You

"The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

Tonight I read an email from a missionary friend. She shared this verse with me and told how it had encouraged her to know that the Lord always goes before her, to prepare the way. That she need not worry about where her financial support will come from, because God always provides. If you are in a place of uncertainty, remember who goes ahead of you. Trust in the One who has it all under control. He will not fail you or forsake you. You are never alone.

The Great Equipper

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;"

2 corinthians 9:8

There is nothing God will call you to do, that He won't equip you to do. His divine assistance is more than sufficient for every task He wants to accomplish through you. Feel you're not strong enough to handle what God has asked you to do? Piece of cake for the Almighty. You can do all things through the One who gives you strength (Philippians 4:13).  Afraid to take a step in the direction God has mapped out for you? No big deal for the Omnipresent Father.  Wherever you go, He's all around you (Psalm 139:5). Having trouble making a decision or discerning the solution to a problem? Not an issue for the All Wise God. He generously gives wisdom to all who ask for it in faith (James 1:5). Whatever your needs, our Father will abundantly provide. He's the Great Equipper.

Food For Even the Deer

"He gives food to every creature. 

            His love endures forever."

Psalm 136:25 (NIV)

God cares for all of His creation. He ensures that even the deer have enough to eat. Today a young deer nibbled on a bush in my yard. God brought the rain and the sun to grow the bush. I'm happy to share it with the deer and praise God for His beautiful creatures.

Pray for Japan

"Do not fear, for I am with you;

         Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God 

         I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,

         Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." 

Isaiah 41:10

Another natural disaster struck our world this week. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan took many lives and left thousands of people homeless and without food and basic necessities. This is a time for Christians everywhere to pray for Japan. A good place to begin is to pray scripture.  We can ask God to give courage to the victims and to make His presence known. To strengthen each person and carry them when they are too weak to go on. As God moves to answer our prayers, He may call on each of us to help the Japanese in a particular way. Let's be open to the Holy Spirit's prompting. We may be the answer to our own prayers.

He Knows

"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Luke 12:7a

These words of Jesus should bring great comfort to us in those times when we have special needs. The God of the universe is intimately familiar with each of us. He knows the exact number of hairs on your head, and my head, and every other head on earth.  How, then, can we doubt that He already knows what we require before we even mention it, and that He will supply it? 

Overcoming Fear

"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."

1 Timothy 1:7

The Apostle Paul wrote these words to young Timothy to encourage him. He wanted Timothy to boldly share the gospel as he himself was doing. In the original Greek, this verse literally means God has not given us a mental disposition of fear (as in faithless fear), but of miraculous power and affection and self-control. Whenever we feel fearful, we should remember that fear does not come from God. If not from God, it must come from ourselves, or from our enemy Satan. This is a good verse to remember and meditate upon when we lack courage. God has already given us everything we need to accomplish His purpose, but we must discipline our minds to grasp and act upon it.

Worry Is a Robber

"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?"

Matthew 6:26-27

It is the nature of most of us to worry. Worry about having enough money. Worry about our health. Worry about...well, you name it. But worry doesn't fix anything. Worry is a robber. It robs us of our peace, our sleep, and eventually our health. Jesus understands this and reminds us that the same God who sees that even the birds have enough to eat, will certainly meet the needs of His children, who are of great worth to Him. The next time you start to worry, think of these verses and remember that the God who loves you will provide.