Bible Truth Publishers

Young Christians Calendar

A daily meditation for young Christians

September 2023

All months

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick” (Numbers 11:5).
In this verse we have the children of Israel speaking longingly of what they had eaten in Egypt. Egypt is a picture of the world, and again, these foods have a spiritual significance. First, there are only six of them. Six is man’s number — short of perfection. Secondly, except for the fish, all of these foods grow either in the ground or on the ground. The fish of course live in the water. All of these foods are connected with the earth, and are a picture of the attractions of this world.
Thirdly, these foods do not require much effort to obtain. You can simply pull leeks or onions out of the ground, cut them up, and eat them. Melons and cucumbers can simply be picked, cut open, and eaten. Again, they are like the things of this world — easy to get.
Finally, some of these foods leave a strong taste in your mouth and a strong odor on your breath, so that if other people get close to you, they know very well that you have eaten them. If we, as Christians, spend our time in the attractions of this world, others will soon sense it. Let us each learn a lesson from these foods.

Friday, September 29, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land…a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey” (Deuteronomy 8:7-8).
In this verse we have listed some of the food that the Lord promised Israel in the land of Canaan. The kinds of food mentioned here are significant in a spiritual way. First of all, there are seven of them, for seven is God’s perfect number. Secondly, all of these foods grow above the ground. Wheat and barley grow on stalks, while figs and grapes grow on trees and vines. This is a picture of heavenly things that are not connected with this world.
Third, all of these foods require effort in order to get them. Wheat and barley must be harvested, threshed, winnowed (the chaff blown off), and then ground up, before they can be used. Fruit must be picked, and olives must be crushed to make olive oil. Honey must be carefully harvested so that we are not stung by the bees! This is a picture of how it takes effort to enjoy the things in God’s Word. We must be diligent in reading and prayer, for the Lord knows that we value something more if we must work a little to get it.

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on….Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things” (Matthew 6:25,32).
When we first look at this verse, it might seem to be saying the opposite to what we had in Proverbs yesterday. Does today’s verse mean that we should not bother to plant crops, harvest them, and put them away for food later on? No, it does not mean that. God means us to work and to manage our lives sensibly. Part of this is planning for the future.
Our verse today means that we are not to be constantly anxious and worried about the future. We are not always to be thinking that we might not have enough, or that something bad may happen, and we will have no food or clothing. Rather, we are to do what the Lord gives us to do, but then trust Him to look after us. The birds do not worry about the future; they are content with what they have today. We are worth more than they are, and we should not worry either.

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Go to the ant, thou sluggard [lazy person]; consider her ways, and be wise…which…provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest” (Proverbs 6:6-8).
As we read through the Word of God, we find that it is always perfectly balanced, and perfectly accurate. For example, we notice that the ant referred to in our verse today is female — “Consider her ways.” This is because an ant colony is set up in much the same way as a colony of bees, and the females do most of the work.
Also, we notice that the ant encourages energy and work in lazy people, for you never see a lazy ant; they are always busy working. They provide for the winter too, by laying up food for the colder months.
This is a good lesson for all of us. At the time I am writing this, it happens to be harvest time here in most of North America. While most of us probably do not live on farms, yet it is a good idea to put something aside for the future, and not to spend all our money at once. I had a letter from a farmer in the U.S.A. this month, and he said that in his area, it had been an exceptionally good harvest. We can be thankful for all this, and for food throughout the winter.

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen” (Revelation 1:7).
Two days ago, we saw the grace and love of God in verses five and six of this same chapter. But now we see that God is also a God of judgment, and that He must punish sin. There is a time coming when the door of mercy for lost sinners will close, and then it will be too late to come to the Lord Jesus and get saved. Then the Lord Jesus will come back to this world to judge it, and when that happens, every true believer will come with Him.
The world will not want to see Him, for they will know that He is coming in judgment. Those who rejected Him as Messiah (the Jews) will see Him, and also those who pierced Him (the Gentiles). All will be found guilty before God at that time, for every true believer will be gone. I sincerely hope that no one who reads this is still lost, and is in danger of being on earth at that awful time!

Monday, September 25, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).
We all have friends and acquaintances in this world — people we meet at school, at work, or perhaps other Christians. No matter what friends we may have, we sometimes find that they change over time, and do not treat us the same way. Sometimes this happens because of something we have done, but often it is because of something that has nothing to do with us. That other person changes because of something that happened in his/her life. This can be very disappointing, and makes us feel bad.
How precious it is to realize that there is One who never changes. He was the same in the past, is the same now, and will remain the same for all eternity — the Lord Jesus Christ. His love to us never changes, nor does He ever treat us differently than He did yesterday. We can always go to Him, knowing that He will listen to us, and respond in love and grace.
Of course, while His love to us does not change, He does not love our sins, and may have to speak to us if we sin. But even this is in love, in order that we might confess the sin, and enjoy His company once again.

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“To Him who loves us, and has washed us from our sins in His blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father: to Him be the glory and the might to the ages of ages. Amen” (Revelation 1:5-6 JND).
The Revelation is mostly a book of judgment, yet here, right at the beginning, we find a strong reference to the grace and love of God. We are reminded that the Lord Jesus not only loved us when He went to the cross and died for us, but that His love continues; He loves us all the way home, and we will enjoy His love for all eternity.
He has made us a kingdom, although we do not actually possess it yet. But He has prepared it for us, and we will reign over it with Him after He comes for us. In the Old Testament only the family of Aaron could be priests, but every true believer is a priest now; we do not have to wait for that. That means that we can approach God in prayer at any time, for through the work of Christ, He has opened the way for us. Surely, as our verse says, our Lord Jesus is worthy of all glory, praise, and might!

Saturday, September 23, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have” (Hebrews 13:5).
When we have a chance to speak with other people, and especially with those of our own age, what do we talk about? Do we talk about things that really matter, or are we usually speaking about things that we might want? If our thoughts are focused on this world, we will talk about the things in this world, and perhaps about what we would like to have. But our verse today says that our conversation should be without covetousness, which means that we should not always be wanting things that the Lord has not given us. It is easy to get into this way of thinking, and then our talk tends to be about the things we wish we had.
If we belong to the Lord Jesus, our treasure is in heaven, and if we realize this, we will not constantly be wanting more things down here. The Lord is able to make us content with what He has given us.

Friday, September 22, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see” (Revelation 3:18).
Yesterday I had cataract surgery on my right eye, and for the next few weeks I have to put three different kinds of drops in that eye, four times a day! All this is important to promote proper healing after surgery. Although I am faithfully putting the drops in my eye, my vision is still blurry, as it will take time for complete healing.
In our verse today, we are told to anoint our eyes with eyesalve, in order to see. This is a spiritual application of the words, for anointing in the Bible usually speaks of the Holy Spirit. Without the leading of the Holy Spirit, we do not see well spiritually. Those in the Laodicea assembly were proud, and thought they knew a lot, but they did not realize how little they really knew. They needed to walk more in fellowship with the Lord, in order to give the Holy Spirit liberty to help them see better. It is only the Holy Spirit that can enable us to see things properly in our lives. We may have good eyes naturally, but we need the Lord’s help to look at things morally in our lives in the right way, and to make good decisions.

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Esau, who for one morsel (plateful) of meat (food) sold his birthright…He found no place of repentance, though he sought it (the blessing) carefully with tears” (Hebrews 12:16-17).
Esau and Jacob were twins, but Esau was born first, and thus he was the elder brother, strictly speaking. But Esau did not value this privilege, and when he came in very hungry one day, he agreed to give Jacob his birthright, if Jacob would feed him. Jacob was cooking a stew and did feed him, but Esau did not care that he had lost his birthright. (His birthright as the elder son meant that he would normally receive a bigger blessing than those who were younger than he.)
Later, Esau badly wanted the blessing from his father, but he never repented of despising his birthright. He did get a blessing, but he would surely have received more if he had been repentant towards God. As believers, it is important to be able to repent — to admit that we are wrong. When we are willing to admit we are wrong, we justify God, and then we can be restored to happy fellowship with the Lord. Sadly, Esau went his own way, and there is no record that he ever repented, or walked with the Lord. His descendants became bitter enemies of Israel, the descendants of Jacob.

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Looking diligently lest any man fail (or lack) the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled” (Hebrews 12:15).
This verse carries us a step further than what we had in our verse yesterday. Yesterday’s verse talked about watching our own behavior carefully, and walking in peace and holiness. But we are also to help each other. Perhaps someone else is having difficulty, and a “root of bitterness” is springing up. Roots are in the ground; you cannot see them. But sometimes they begin to grow into plants, and bitter roots make bad plants. Then, sad to say, many usually become defiled.
Even as Christians we can have bad roots in us — resentful feelings toward someone else, envy, irritation because someone said something bad about us, or did something to us, etc. Instead of acting in grace, we can let that bad root grow and cause a lot of trouble. Let us be on guard, and help one another to pull up those bad roots!

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
It is a good thing for us, as Christians, to do everything possible to “follow peace with all men.” This means that we do not do things that irritate other people, or things that cause hard feelings and provoke fights. As Christians we still have our old sinful nature, and we can certainly do things that cause problems, if we are not watchful.
On the other hand, we are also to follow holiness. We must not give up holiness in order to live in peace with people in this world. Many years ago, some of those with whom I went to university wanted me to do something that would have displeased the Lord. When I refused they became upset with me, but I was thankful for the courage the Lord gave me to refuse to do something that was wrong.
When it says, “Without which no man shall see the Lord,” it means that we will not be able to walk in fellowship with the Lord, if we do not follow holiness. It is more important to follow holiness than to be at peace with all men.

Monday, September 18, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Can a woman forget her sucking child…yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16).
Have you ever written something on your hand because you did not have a piece of paper handy? Probably we have all done this at times, and then, when we washed our hand afterward, the message was easily erased. But in the past, people sometimes made marks on the hands of slaves or prisoners, using techniques that made a mark that would not come off. It was like a tattoo or a brand, so that others would be able to identify the person easily.
The Lord Jesus has graven us upon the palms of His hands, so that nothing can take that mark away. If our names were only written there, we might be afraid that they could be washed off. But our names are graven there to assure us that He will never forget us. He died for us, and loves us too much to forget us!

Sunday, September 17, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6).
This verse is a prophecy that was made about the Lord Jesus hundreds of years before He came into this world, for Isaiah lived more than 700 years before Jesus was born. Godly men like Isaiah wondered sometimes why the Spirit of God led them to write this way, for there is no record in the Bible that Isaiah himself ever suffered this kind of treatment. It clearly refers to the Lord Jesus, and what men did to Him when they took Him to be crucified. All this was fulfilled exactly as we read in our verse, for Pilate scourged the Lord Jesus, while others pulled the hair off His face, and spit on Him. He went through all this because He loved us so much!
While we do not believe the Bible simply because prophecy has been so accurately fulfilled, yet it is one of the strongest proofs that the Bible is true.

Saturday, September 16, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“They helped every man his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage” (Isaiah 41:6).
Here we find those who were wishing to encourage one another, and help one another. This is something that every Christian ought to be doing, and especially today. The Covid virus and everything that is happening as a result of it are proving to be very difficult for us, and for some of our brothers and sisters in foreign lands, it is even more difficult. It is a time when we need to help one another, and encourage one another.
When times are difficult, it is easy to withdraw into ourselves, and be concerned mainly about our own lives and our own problems. But let us look around, and notice when others need a little help, or someone to give them a kind word. Not only will it encourage them, but the Lord is honored when we do this, and will reward us for it in a coming day!

Friday, September 15, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Be careful [anxious] for nothing” (Philippians 4:6).
John Wesley lived during the 1700’s, and traveled extensively in England preaching the gospel. At one point a messenger came riding up to him, having ridden a long distance in order to reach the place where he knew Mr. Wesley was preaching. (There were no cell phones in those days!) His message was short but very distressing — “Mr. Wesley, last night your house caught fire and burned to the ground.”
John Wesley thought for moment and then replied, “No, it was the Lord’s house that burned. Now I have one less thing to worry about.” He put very little value on possessions down here, for he lived in view of eternity.
Of course, to lose his home was a big loss, yet he trusted the Lord, and did not allow himself to be overcome. His possessions were the Lord’s, not his, and he knew the Lord would look after him.

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37).
This verse has often seemed to me to be one of the saddest verses in the Bible. I grew up on a farm, and we had chickens. When little chicks hatched, they would follow their mother all around the barnyard. If any danger approached, they would run to her, and she would spread her wings over them to protect them. She would sometimes attack a dog or a cat if they came too close. The little chicks looked to their mother for protection until they were big enough to look after themselves.
The Lord Jesus wanted to do this for His beloved people Israel, but they would not have Him. They would rather face the danger and be hurt than take refuge in Him. In the same way many in this world are facing serious danger from coming judgment, yet will not come to the Lord Jesus.

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him [God]: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews. 11:6).
There are some people today who claim that they do not believe that God exists; they call themselves atheists. But deep down inside, all human beings have a God-conscious part of themselves that recognizes that there is a God. However, simply believing in God is not enough. Many people believe there is a God, yet have no wish to seek Him.
In order to seek God, we must believe that (we speak reverently) He is worth seeking! Some feel that God takes little or no interest in them, while others feel that He is a God of judgment, and want nothing to do with Him. But our verse today reminds us that He is a “rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” God is a God of grace and love, as well as a God of judgment, and He wants to bless us, not condemn us. If we go on in our sins without God, we compel Him to judge us, but He has provided a way that we can have our sins forgiven, and be reconciled to Him. This requires faith, but surely God is worthy of our trust!

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he” (Genesis 6:22).
Noah lived over 4,000 years ago, yet he is a wonderful example for us today. When Noah lived, he had probably never seen rain before, for the earth was likely watered by a mist from the earth itself, and had a fairly constant climate. The Bible does not mention seasons like summer and winter until after the flood. Yet when God told Noah that He would bring a flood of water upon the earth, a flood so big that it would destroy everything that breathed air, Noah believed God.
He built an ark, a job that must have taken him many years, and prepared everything according to what God had told him. He is a good example for us, for God has told us faithfully in His Word that judgment is coming on this world. Many do not believe it, and are going on carelessly. But if you and I believe God, then we will do what He tells us to do: we will prepare for the coming judgment by coming to Christ, and accepting Him as our Savior.

Monday, September 11, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Those eighteen, upon whom the tower of Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:4-5).
As I write this in the year 2021, I am reminded that the above date is the twentieth anniversary of so-called “9-11” — the date in 2001 when the World Trade towers in New York City, U.S.A. were attacked by terrorists who hijacked four commercial passenger jets and then flew two of them into the buildings. This set both buildings on fire, and eventually caused them to collapse, with the loss of hundreds of lives.
Events like this have happened throughout this world’s history, and the Lord Jesus called attention to a tower that had evidently collapsed in Jerusalem, killing eighteen people. He pointed out that this was a warning from God, and that if others did not repent, they too would come under judgment. Sad to say, people focused largely on the terrorists that attacked the World Trade towers, and paid little or no attention to the fact that God allowed it to speak to this world. If you are not saved, this warning is for you!

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
In this chapter of Second Corinthians, the Apostle Paul has been speaking to the believers in Corinth about Christian giving. He was showing them the importance of setting aside money, and then having it available to use for the Lord, and for the help of others. But then, in both the eighth and ninth chapters, he uses the example of the gift of the Lord Jesus, and all His work on the cross, as a basis for our giving. This is beautiful, for what gift on our part could ever compare with what God gave, and what the Lord Jesus gave, on Calvary’s cross?
After concluding his talk to the Corinthians, Paul sums it up by saying, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” Truly the gift of His beloved Son was “unspeakable” — a gift that words could not describe. But God loved us enough to give His only Son to die for us. We may thank others for a gift that they give us, but how many thanks are due to God for His gift! It is a gift for which we will thank Him for all eternity.

Saturday, September 9, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“But thou hast known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions…continue thou” (2 Timothy 3:10-11, 14).
The Apostle Paul, who wrote this epistle to Timothy, lived a life in contrast to all that was going on in the world around him. Yes, he interacted with people in the world, and preached to them, but his whole manner of life was totally different. Timothy had known Paul for many years, and as a young man had seen the way he lived; he had been a good example to Timothy.
Now Paul was getting near the end of his life, and Timothy would have to carry on without him.
Those who are younger today also have good examples to follow, for there have been godly brothers and sisters whom you have known, and whose lives have been lived for Christ. If we look closely at them, we will see mistakes, and even the great Apostle Paul made mistakes. But His motive was Christ, and His life was a good example.

Friday, September 8, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).
Since the Lord Jesus was rejected, Satan has been recognized and called both the god and prince of this world. He is the god of this world religiously and the prince of this world politically. He makes sure that people in this world have plenty to occupy their minds, and that they are “ever learning.”
In the past we had many books that were available to us, more than we could ever read, but in the last twenty-five years or so we have had the internet, cell phones and other social media, all of which have greatly increased our ability to take in and process information. However, Satan takes care that most of this information does not take us any closer to the truth; rather, it all has to do with life in this world. Only in Christ and through the Word of God do we obtain the real truth about everything. We may learn many things through social media, but we must learn the truth from God Himself, through the Bible and in Christ.

Thursday, September 7, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:25).
Yesterday we saw that we are to turn away from those who have a form of godliness, but deny the power of it. However, we are not to ignore them completely. In our verse today, we see that we are to instruct them in meekness. We must recognize that it is not our good presentation of the truth in the Bible that brings souls to Christ. Rather, it is God who must work in the souls of unbelievers to bring them to Christ.
There is a reason that God works this way. Yes, we are responsible to speak to souls about Christ, but if they were saved because of our efforts, we would take the credit for it. But when the Lord works, He gets the glory for it, and that is the way it should be. The Lord may use us, but we are only instruments in His hands.

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“This know also, that is the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be…having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Timothy 3:1-2,5).
The “perilous times” described in the first few verses of this chapter are around us today, and it is not a description of that part of the world that largely follows false religions. No, it is a description of that part of the world that knew the gospel, but has given it up. The outward form is still there, for the Bible is still the moral basis of the laws and culture of those countries. Some people still go to church, but in most cases it is only a form of godliness. There is often no inward reality, and thus no power for real godliness.
The instruction here is to turn away from all this, for while it maintains the outward form of Christianity, these people are not truly saved, and thus are not indwelt with the Holy Spirit. There is no power for a godly walk before God, and worst of all, there is no heart for Christ. We cannot find any help or encouragement from such people. However, another verse gives us what we can do positively for them. We will look at this verse tomorrow.

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased” (Psalm 4:7).
This verse is very searching to our hearts, but also very encouraging. Many years ago, when I was young, we had an older brother in Christ who used to paraphrase this verse like this — “Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than if I got an increase in my salary.” (In the days when this psalm was written, most Israelites were farmers, but today most of us work in a different way.) He also used to remind us that “happiness is a state of soul, not a question of circumstances.”
If we are always thinking of getting ahead in this world, we will miss the joy of learning from our difficult circumstances, and getting the blessing from them. If we are enjoying the things of Christ in our hearts, we will have a joy that nothing else can match. We will have much more gladness than if we had more things in this world!

Monday, September 4, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“In pressure Thou hast enlarged me” (Psalm 4:1 JND).
In natural things, the statement made in our verse today would seem to be a contradiction. Normally, if we put something under pressure, it gets smaller, not larger. For example, we can compress air into a cylinder, so that it takes up a lot less space than if it is outside the container. The compressed air is “under pressure,” and if it is released, the resultant pressure has a lot of energy. (Compressed air in a cylinder is the basis for air brakes on big trucks.)
But in our verse we find that when we are in pressure from difficult circumstances, if we are walking with the Lord, we are enlarged. What does this mean? It means that in difficult situations the Lord can teach us things that we could not learn any other way. In Psalm 3, David is running away from his son Absalom, who wanted to be king instead of David. The 4th Psalm is probably a continuation of the same experience. But David learned more about the Lord, and experienced more comfort and blessing, than if the trouble had never happened.
The Lord may allow this in our lives too, so that later we can thank the Lord for the difficulty in our lives, even though it may have been unpleasant at the time.

Sunday, September 3, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Psalm 85:10).
If we look at this verse without looking at the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, it seems impossible. Mercy and truth could not come together, nor could righteousness and peace kiss each other. Our sins deserved God’s judgment, and if God showed us mercy, He would not be dealing with us according to truth. If God “made peace” with us, He would not be righteous.
We understand this in natural things. If a man were convicted of a serious crime in court, the judge could not simply show mercy and let him off without any penalty. No, the law demands that he be punished, and the judge must act according to the law.
But at the cross the Lord Jesus paid the full penalty for sin, so that God could be merciful and righteous at the same time. He could make peace because of the blood of Christ, that has fully put away our sins. Only God Himself could have thought of such a wonderful plan of salvation!

Saturday, September 2, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“Men of the world, which have their portion in this life…As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness” (Psalm 17:14-15).
In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was promised blessings on earth (such as good health, long life, good crops, and other things down here), if they were obedient to the Lord. But David realized that all this would come to an end, and that there was something more beyond death. He did not know as much as we do now, under Christianity, but he looked forward to future blessing beyond this life.
There are those who may do well in this world, but whose whole outlook is for this life. David calls them “men who have their portion in this life,” meaning that they are looking only at this world. They do not think about what will happen after death.
If you and I know Christ as our Savior, we know that we will be with Christ after we leave this world. Like David, we will behold the Lord’s face, and have His likeness. We will have glorified bodies like Christ Himself.

Friday, September 1, 2023

Copy linkPrint
“The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God” (Psalm 14:1).
At first glance, this verse might seem to be speaking about an atheist — someone who does not believe that God exists. However, it is really speaking about someone who believes in God, but who does not believe that God is going to hold him/her responsible for his/her actions.
I remember a man (he was not a Christian) who boasted about cheating on his income tax, and when I mentioned that God took notice of this and would remember it, he replied that he did not think that God cared much about his income tax. He thought that God had more important things to consider! But the Lord knows all about us, and even the smallest sin is noticed. Those who think that God does not notice are called fools in this verse, for as we read in Romans, “Every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” See if you can find this verse in the book of Romans.