“Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—so will your poverty come upon you like a stalker, and your need as an armed man.”

— Proverbs 6:10-11

Proverbs contrasts the diligent one who will succeed with the sluggard who will fail. By a person’s diligence, his indefatigable keeping at his tasks, his lack of slothfulness, his rising early, and his attending to the minute details of his affairs, he gains for himself and for his family wealth.

The one who deals with a slack hand, one who by design is lazy, will not have what he needs. Now there are those that might look at some who are profligate in their great wealth and spend their money luxuriously and foolishly, but the Bible says that the poor man who is slothful is a brother to the man who is a great waster. The Bible says further that the sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold, therefore he shall beg in harvest and have nothing.

The desire of the slothful kills him for his hand refused to labor. The drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty and drowsiness shall clothe a man in rags. The slothful man says there is a lion in the streets, so he can’t work. As the door turns upon its hinges so does the slothful man upon his bed. Another thing about the slothful man we are told is that he obstinately refuses to be corrected and because he refuses to be corrected, he does not improve, and he continues in his poverty and his misery. May God give us the grace to work diligently to not only provide what we need and to generously provide for others. May he also make us teachable.

Lord, You told us to go to the ant and be wise. Like these little creatures we should work hard and plan for the future. Help me to be diligent today in all my tasks…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN PRAY FOR
THE FUTURE AND ENTRUST IT TO HIM.

“Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he is offering a service to God.”

— John 16:2

Religion-wise, the greatest competitor to Christianity for hearts and souls for all eternity is Islam. Some people like to say we all worship the same God, just with different names. How naïve they are.

Islam has been violent for the bulk of its fourteen-centuries-long existence. From the very beginning, Islam gained much of its territory by wielding the sword. By about 1000 A.D. half of what had been Christendom was conquered by Islam.

All of the churches to which Christ sent letters in the book of Revelation were in territories now dominated by the Muslims. Much of the New Testament was written in and to places now in Muslim hands. This includes the books of Galatians, Ephesians, and Colossians. The Christians were first called Christians in a place (Antioch) now under complete Muslim control.

The radical follower of Islam does not represent the views, life, actions of all or of most Muslims. But taking jihad seriously is one of the teachings of the Koran, and those who do it are considered good Muslims.

The difference between Christianity and Islam is enormous. Mohammed said that people were to give their sons for Allah. The Bible says that God gave His son for you and me.

Oh Lord, as we see the spread of Islam and its violence and its persecution of Your saints, we tremble at the terror with which they are flooding the world. But we thank You that You only allow evil to seemingly triumph for a limited time…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE
CAN STAND AGAINST EVIL.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how shall it be made salty? It is from then on good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled underfoot by men.”

— Matthew 5:13

The church needs to awaken after many decades of lethargy and sleep. When this happens, I believe we will see many of the most unfortunate and godless decisions that have been made in this country in the past few decades reversed, and America will be restored again to a godliness—the kind of godliness that made us great.

This isn’t going to happen overnight. Christians need to have far more influence in public elections. I believe that if we mobilized properly we could be the dominant force in elections in this nation. Those who would flaunt their disregard for moral and ethical standards would then find it increasingly difficult, and finally, impossible to be elected to high office in this nation.

I believe the church will also need to exercise more responsibility for the needy. As the nation retreats from the socialistic path it has been on for some time, the obligation will again be returned to local organizations and to the church. We will need to more fully exercise our responsibility and opportunity to minister to the poor, as the church at one time did. That will, indeed, give us the opportunity of bringing to them not only the physical needs of food and clothing, but also the Gospel of Christ, which can feed their souls and clothe them in the white robes of righteousness. Meanwhile, I am grateful for those already involved in this process. Take away the church and their feeding programs and a lot more people would do without.

Lord Jesus, give me strength for today to find a need and to fill it in Your name. Thank You for the incredible way Your people all over the world feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Lord, help us to make a difference for righteousness’ sake in this country…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, THE CHURCH OF
CHRIST CAN BE TRUE SALT AND LIGHT.

“Wealth makes many friends, but the poor is separated from his neighbor.”

— Proverbs 19:4

Proverbs has much to say about practical living, including the advantages of wealth and the disadvantages of poverty. Saint Francis indeed might have taken poverty for his bride, but the wisdom of the book of Proverbs does not recommend it. For example, it says, “The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; the destruction of the poor is their poverty” (Proverbs 10:15).

Like Francis, there have been those of a more mystical bent who have glorified poverty, and yet this is not what wisdom would have us see. As far as this book of the Bible is concerned, the destruction of the poor is their poverty. Indeed, poverty can be a devastating thing, and there are those in our cities today who know full well the truthfulness of this ancient wisdom.

Proverbs tells us that the rich man gains many advantages through his power of giving gifts. It brings him before great men. It procures for him universal friendship, such as that friendship may be, and it enables him to pacify the anger of an adversary—for a gift given to an angry man pacifies anger, we are told. Not only does his wealth make for him many friends, but it also secures positions of influence and authority over those who are not wealthy. It enables him to rise to positions of prominence, to hold places in parliaments or obtain governorships or other such offices as this. Above all, the Bible says to trust in God and not in uncertain riches.

Lord, You give us what we have. Help us to be content and at the same time improve our income when we are able. Your kingdom goes forth through funding, including that from the affluent. Help us to use what we have for Your honor and glory…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN USE
OUR RICHES TO BUILD HIS KINGDOM.

“Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers spoke of the false prophets.”

— Luke 6:26

One purpose of the pulpit is actually to drive members right out of the church as part of the continuing purging. The operation of the keys of the kingdom of God is coordinated with the whole matter of church discipline.

As the truth is preached and some unregenerate church members hear the truth, it tromps on people’s toes. And their ungodliness and impenitence and wicked lies are exposed and their heresies are blasted. They leave and the church continues to be purified.

Of course, one of the tragedies of the church today is that too many preachers are afraid to step on anybody’s toes. They will have to answer to Christ for that.

As the truth is proclaimed, God’s own people will be drawn unto Him and the tares will be repulsed. That is the inevitable consequence of preaching the truth. Of course my greater desire is that everyone would repent and come to Christ and that none would be driven away.

Ah, my friends, but that shall never be—for we are a savor of life unto life for some and death unto death for others, and that is part of the calling of every minister and of everyone who names the name of Jesus Christ. What is true of me is true of you as well in your witness for Christ. We need to persevere unto the end, for those who persevere unto the end will be saved.

Pure and holy Lord, we wish that none would turn away from You, but we have promised to work for both the purity and the peace of the church. Help us to never water down Your Word or accept heresy because we want peace and unity…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, THE
CHURCH CAN BE PURIFIED.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

— Hebrews 11:6

Faith in Jesus is the only ship that sails for Paradise. Faith is the only door to heaven. Faith is the only key that opens the mansions above. Faith is that upon which we rest our heads when we come to the end of this life. Surely it is sad that millions of people in America have never learned the great foundational truth that salvation is by faith alone. Consequently, they have never come to the place where they know assuredly that they are going to Paradise.

Some professing Christians do not realize that they can have the assurance of salvation. But the Bible says it emphatically of those who truly believe in the Son of God: “These things I have written … that you may know that you have eternal life” (I John 5:13) [Emphasis added]. You don’t need to guess, surmise, or speculate. You can know for sure. That is the wonder of faith, and that faith is faith in the crucified and risen Christ. It is faith in the only Redeemer of the world, the only One who has taken our sins and paid for them all, and now offers to receive us freely into His kingdom above.

Suicide bombers of radical Islamic groups blow themselves up and kill others because they think by doing so they will end up in paradise. They are wrong; they will end up in hell. But we as Christians should rejoice in the blessed assurance that we can know we have eternal life.

God of my salvation, thank You for the firm assurance of eternal life. Thank You that I belong to You both here on earth and later in heaven. This is a “foretaste of glory divine”…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE ARE
SAVED FOR ALL ETERNITY.

“Give, and it will be given to you: Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will men give unto you.”

— Luke 6:38

Do you have many friends? Or have you, like so many people, never really learned the secret of how to make friends? We make friends by becoming a friend. In some ways, we receive back that which we give. Look at these Scriptures:

• “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged. And with the measure you use, it will be measured again for you” (Matthew 7:1-2).
• “Therefore, everything you would like men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).
• “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

Think, speak, and act positively, and lovingly and you will find that you receive in turn loving and positive thoughts and words and deeds. In the physical world, it is Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. But, it is just as true in the psychological and spiritual world. In fact, the speech research unit of Kenyon College proved through many tests that if a person is shouted at, he almost always shouts back.

Ask God to help you to be more loving, more generous, more kind, more Christlike.

God, You are the Giver. When we give it is in imitation of You. Help us to be givers with a thankful heart, not to give in order to get something back but because we wish to share Your bounty.

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
LEARN TO LIVE GENEROUSLY.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we should walk in them.”

— Ephesians 2:10

Most Americans have it backwards when it comes to salvation. They think they are going to be saved by their good works. We know that is not true. We are saved by grace through faith. Yet the problem is that there are many church members who think they have the problem all solved. They don’t do anything because they assume they are just saved. We are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works, as Ephesians 2:10 says.

So, let me ask another question. What have you accomplished for Christ? Many people resolve to do nothing and succeed perfectly.

What is the proper relationship between faith and works? We are saved by faith and after that we live our lives in thanksgiving to God by doing His will. If there were no work for us to do, God could just take us home as soon as we got saved. But He has left us here in this world to do good works, which He has prepared and planned for us to do. These works have nothing to do with our justification, but they help along our sanctification, they glorify Him, and they benefit our fellow man.

Lord Jesus, thank You for entrusting me with good works for me to do for You. Help me to do them well and in joyful gratitude to You…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH,
WE CAN DO HIS WORK.

“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘Look! I am making all things new.’”

— Revelation 21:5

The great Dutch theologian, Abraham Kuyper, who was the only theologian I know of to ever rise to the position of Prime Minister of his country, had this to say: “But in regeneration a change took place. By this divine act, our person is in principle detached from his former ego in the old man… Our person is no longer identified with the old man, but opposes him. Even though he succeeds in enticing us again to sin, even in the yielding we do not what we will, but what we hate. Only hear what St. Paul says: ‘For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice’ (Romans 7:19 nkjv).”

A new man has been created, and the believer must consciously be more and more separated from the old nature, which must be more and more mortified and slain. We must identify more and more with the new nature. Only in thus being so identified, will our prayers be pleasing to God and will they be answered.

Say “yes” to the new man and “no” to the old man. If you are in Christ, you have received a new nature. However, as long as you are alive, you still have within an old man. Which of the two will you cater to? Which will you feed? Which will you starve? That will determine your spiritual progress.

Lord Jesus, we struggle with the two natures within and look in longing for the day You will forever remove our sinful nature, and we will be glorified, without even a possibility of a sinful thought. Hasten that day, Lord…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
FIGHT THE SINFUL NATURE.

“So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am tormented in this flame.’”

— Luke 16:24

It bothers me greatly to see so many people, blithely on their way to eternal perdition.

There was a young man named William C. Burns of Scotland. He was a very compassionate and effective minister for Jesus Christ. But when he was only sixteen years old, he was simply Billy Burns. He grew up on a farm, a long way from any town. He probably had never seen fifty people in his lifetime. He had never been to a big town. Never.

But his mother took him, at the age of sixteen, to Glasgow. As they were walking down the crowded streets of Glasgow, his mother suddenly noticed that Billy was gone. She called for him. She turned around and in panic began to retrace her steps down the street looking for him anxiously. Finally, she came to an alley and there back in the alley, seated on the ground with his back against the wall, his knees up before him, his arms around his knees, and his head on his knees, he was sobbing uncontrollably. She ran up to him and said, “Billy, Billy, what is the matter? Are you all right? Are you all right?”

He looked up at her with a tear-stained face and said, “Oh, Mother, Mother. The thud of all those Christless feet is breaking my heart!” He was not only moved with compassion, he grew up to do something about it. I pray you will, too. May God give us a greater love for the lost.

Lord God Almighty, we are so grieved by all the ungodly people who are so very lost and have no idea how serious their situation is. Only You are mighty to save and we ask humbly to be used by You to gather people to Yourself…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, AND BY HIS
POWER SINNERS ARE SAVED.