September 8th - Enjoy What You Earn

“Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:3-5)

The Psalmist of course was addressing Israel. However, it is most likely one of those Scriptures which apply to all. If so, all of us should…

“Trust in the LORD, and do good. Dwell in the land and feed on HIS faithfulness”

Not just trust in the LORD, but also DO GOOD. Dwell in the land God places you in and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

“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.” (Ecclesiates 2:24)

God's desire for us is pretty simple it seems to me...to work, appreciate it, and enjoy the fruits of it as best we can afford.

“This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them--for this is their lot.” (Ecclesiastes 5:18)

God encourages us to work and approves of our enjoying its fruits.

"Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do." (Ecclesiastes 9:7)

September 7th - You Need Not Fight Your Battles

“Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies; do not be afraid…for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” (Deuteronomy 20:3-4)

Before they entered the promised land Israel was told they would do battle, but they were not to fear for the LORD would “save” them…and He did.

All of us are told in the Bible that we have another kind of enemy with whom we struggle…

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

We are still not to fear the spiritual forces of darkness for the LORD has promised to save

us...and He will.

“In the world you have tribulation, fear not for I have overcome the world…" (John 16:33)

"...put on the full armor of God…take up the shield of faith…take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:11-17)

"It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all humanity.” (1 Timothy 4:9-10)

Humanity can "take up" the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation because they are our free gifts from God.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

September 6th - Mercy On Us All

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)

There is a great difference between “renewing” our minds based on "God's mercy" and having our minds “brainwashed” by the opinions of a religious system. What institutional religions teach, Christianity included, is the opinion of their leaders.

Humanity is not to be "conformed" to religious or political doctrines in the world but be conformed to the mind of God. When we conform our mind to the MERCY of God, we can clearly see and understand what God "WILLS" for humanity, which is to save and reconcile every human to Himself whether they agree to be saved and reconciled or not.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,  for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning…" (Lamentations 3:22)

"For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on them all." (Romans 11:32)

"...this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who WILLS all humanity to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for ALL.” (1 Timothy 2:3-6)

September 5th - Labor is Good

Labor Day remembers hard working men and women who make the world worth living in.

“Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense… make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you.” (Proverbs 12:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:11)

"If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies…” (2 Thessalonians 3:10-11)

Working people have a sense of self-worth. When our ancestors were without work, they planted gardens or hunted to feed their families. And when they had plenty, they were inclined to share with others who could not find a job but were willing.

September 4th - After Death Comes the Resurrection

“I have come as Light into the world...I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world..." (John 12:47)

From the mouth of Christ Jesus Himself comes the truth that He did not come to judge but to save the world. He also told the world that it is God's commandment to give eternal life. 

“...the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life...” (vs 49-50)

God intends to resurrect humanity from death and give them eternal life. 

When? 

John Chapter 12 is about death and resurrection. Jesus had showed the world His power to raise the dead when He resurrected His friend Lazarus. But the final proof would be the power of God to raise Jesus from His own death! So Jesus declares...

“Now judgment is upon this world (death); now the ruler of this world (death) will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth (resurrected), will draw ALL MEN to Myself.” (vs 31-32)

The enemy of humanity has always been death. Yet God will not only abolish death, but Jesus His Son will return to resurrect the dead and give humanity eternal life in a transformed body which cannot die! 

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise." (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

"...the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable…DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:52,55). 

This is good news and it is for ALL humanity, not just for a few. 

"For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified." (1 Corinthians 15:22)

"This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior Who wills all humanity to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time. (1 Timothy 2:3-6)

"...it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all humanity, especially of believers." (1 Timothy 4:10).

 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone." (Titus 2:11) 

This glorious salvation of all was kept a secret from humanity until revealed to the Apostle Paul...

"...this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this secret, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things." (Ephesians 3:1-5)

"...the glorious riches of this secret among the nations, which is: Christ among you, the expectation of glory we are announcing, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we should be presenting every man mature in Christ Jesus." (Colossians 1:27-28)

Sadly, the gospel of the salvation of ALL is still a secret among institutional religions. Yet, our hope remains, to be resurrected from the dead by Jesus - and the Bible says He will do just that when He returns from heaven to earth!

"...we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body." (Philippians 3:20)

September 3rd - Love is Patient and Kind

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

My perception of God is that He meets humanity on the basis of love for His family. God deals with humanity by the Grace of a loving parent who sets forth an ideal standard to live by (His law), then allows us to test this standard within our own unique set of circumstances. All of us will one day agree that abiding by the standards set by God would have been best.

"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I grew up, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now abides faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:11-13)

September 2nd - Be Commended for your Faith

"These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40)

Who were those “commended for their faith"? The list is the hall of fame of the Bible…Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel.

They were commended for their faith even though none of them received what God had promised during their lives. The same should be true of us all. We should learn what God has promised and have faith that He will do what He promises. And He has promised immortality to humanity after death.

"The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life..." (Romans 6:23)

“…as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive...just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man...buried in weakness and raised in power; buried a natural body but raised a spiritual body…The perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:22-53)

Having faith in God’s promise will make a sinful person hopeful, and a self righteous person humble.