This week, we have been observing God’s Spring Festival Season picturing the requirements of God that we come out of sin — that we eliminate sin from our lives! Of course, we understand we must come to the place where we realize our need for an unleavened attitude in our lives 365 days of the year.

God speaks to us through Moses in Deuteronomy 10:12, where he asks: “What does the LORD require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?”

If we can truly say that this requirement of the eternal God is our desire, and if we are truly working on fulfilling this requirement in our lives each day God blesses us with the gift of life, then we are surely in the process of fulfilling the meaning of these Days of Unleavened Bread!

How diligently do we pursue this requirement of our God? Suppose Jesus had approached His responsibility to become the “perfect sacrifice” in a manner similar to many of us, the “called out” brethren? Of course, since His desire was in pleasing the Father and in providing a way for you and me, even as weak as we are, to become qualified for the Kingdom, Christ never let up for a second in opposing all of the attacks Satan and this world put on Him.

We understand that we owe the possibility of inheriting eternal life to the fact that He was always wholehearted in achieving the responsibility He so graciously accepted. How often do we think of our obligation to God and Christ and to our fellow servants in Christ when we find ourselves being overcome with petty grievances and misunderstandings with one another — because of just plain self-righteousness.

Once this type of attitude takes hold, the tendency is to then begin accusing one another and judging one another, and allowing anger and frustration to consume our thoughts and our minds, and to begin pulling away from our brethren! We know at such a time our actions should rightly be to drop to our knees and ask our God for repentance for such ungodly conduct. But many times we allow our anger and frustration to take hold and this attitude becomes prolonged to the point of continual sin against our God and our brethren.

These are the Days of Unleavened Bread. We are to be concentrating on getting such sinful thoughts and acts out of our lives. We all understand that sin begins in the mind and, therefore, it is in the mind where we need to begin rooting the sin out!

Let us draw near to our God during these days and let us ask Him for His help in our effort to achieve the desire of our hearts — to be obedient to Him!

Several years ago, I saw an interesting movie. Its real message wasn’t evident until the last three minutes. It involved a man with two sons who, over the years, because of major issues between the two sons, had drifted apart.

The man who lived on the west coast was the owner of an automobile on the east coast which needed to be driven to his new residence. This was no ordinary car. It was a beautiful fully restored older vehicle — I believe, a Cadillac — and it looked just like a new car. He asked his eldest son to pick up the car with his younger brother.

As the two young men drove five days across the nation, they got into all kinds of problems. They were bickering at first because of the animosity between them, but it slowly changed. By the third day, the younger brother got into a squabble with a few other men at a bar, and the older brother came to his rescue. They had to flee the scene with their dad’s car, and they were chased by the other men, resulting in damage to the car — scratches on the paint job and dents in the fender.

However, the brothers had finally developed a deep bond for each other. When they arrived at the west coast, the eldest brother went alone to deliver the car to his dad. He knocked at the door with a bit of fear and trepidation. The father came out, walked towards his car, and the son was very apologetic about the damage on the car. To his complete surprise the father said: “Never mind the car, how was the trip with your brother?” The eldest son indicated it went well and that although it started off a bit rough, they had bonded as brothers. The only reply from the father was: “That’s great, that’s just great.”

The father died from cancer three months later, and that’s when the eldest son realized why the father wasn’t concerned about his restored car as much as the relationship between the brothers. To the father, the relationship between the two of them was more important than the car, as he did not want to die while there were bad feelings between his sons.

This movie reminded me of Matthew 5:23-24, where we read: “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

We are keeping the Passover on Friday night. How is our relationship with God and with our brethren? Have we reconciled with God, since it is His law that we transgress when we sin, and reconciliation is through the blood of His beloved Son Jesus Christ? Passages such as 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, and Romans 5:10-11 make this very clear.

Christ, as our elder brother, was willing to die for our sins so we could be reconciled to God. In this life we can get caught up in the physical things and get our focus on wrong and unimportant matters. However, we read what is really important, in 1 John 4:7-11:

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born [better: begotten] of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

The Passover season is a time to get focused on the important things and to be truly reconciled to God and, as much as depends on us, to our brethren, with the realization that reconciliation through the sacrifice of Christ is far more important than anything else.

So let us keep this Passover with a deep feeling of appreciation for the sacrifice which Christ made for all of us.

In spite of our best efforts, problems do arise. There are many issues that are within our control, and it is a point of personal character to be responsible in these areas. For instance, preparation for the future is our duty. If we acquire a good education and career skills, we are able to direct our lives from a position of strength.

Notice how God teaches us in this regard: “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest…” (Proverbs 6:6-8). The lesson here is to be motivated to recognize the need and to be ready.

This same principle applies in our relationship with God. Right now, we who are Christians must be building for the future–both for the events of our own lifetimes and for the opportunities God has promised relative to eternal life. In order to do that, we will need help, and the way for us to prepare is found in James 4:8: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”

For our part, this kind of relationship with God takes constant effort. It is far too easy for us to get caught up in the moment and to relegate our contact with God to second or third place–or to no place at all! Time passes us by, and we suddenly wake up to the fact that our lives are unraveling with problems on every side.

When things go wrong in our lives, what should we do?

Our answer is to seek God with all of our heart, and to put God first in our lives by turning to Him in humility and repentance! We have the record of nations and individuals who have taken this approach, and we see how merciful and loving God is toward those who obey Him in this way.

We find this assurance from God–a way out for us when things do go wrong: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Have you ever had someone respond to you, by saying: “but I think…”, followed by a lengthy explanation of his or her personal opinion?

It happens all the time, doesn’t it? And far too often, it occurs in areas in which the person you are talking with has absolutely no expertise and experience — whether it is in the field of business, law, education — or, of course, religion.

Especially when focusing on the true worship of God, everybody seems to have an opinion — and many times, it is “THE one and only correct position.” Far too often, it is something comparatively negligible which has become THE issue of salvation in the person’s mind. But God is not interested at all in your or my OPINION — He does not care what WE may think — and neither should we.

When God calls us to His way of life, He expects us to give up OUR opinions and replace them with the way GOD thinks.

Notice what God tells those who believe that they are wise and full of understanding: “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile” (1 Corinthians 3:20). Paul even remarks: “And if anyone thinks that he knows anything [especially something “new” which only he or she is able to “see”], he knows nothing yet as he ought to know” (1 Corinthians 8:2).

But this is not what the human mind wants to hear. Rather, we are, so often, far too anxious to justify our thoughts to God — or His true ministers — rather than taking a deep breath, stepping back, and considering whether our thoughts are futile or vain in the eyes of God.

Notice Paul’s question in Romans 9:20: “But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God?” The scribes and Pharisees at the time of Christ have become known to us as those who seemed to be always ready to argue with God. We find this telling report in Luke 5:22: “But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, ‘Why are you reasoning in your hearts?'” Christ had just forgiven the sins of a sick person (verse 20), but “the scribes and Pharisees began to reason, saying, ‘…Who can forgive sins but God alone?'” (verse 21). They were suffering from the typical “but I think”- syndrome. They did not agree with what Christ was doing or saying. But rather than submitting to God, replacing their thoughts and opinions with the mind of God, they began to reason and justify their own positions. They should have done, however, what Paul tells us to do in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty IN GOD for… casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every THOUGHT into captivity to the obedience of Christ…”

Even members in God’s Church have to be careful not to embrace the “but I think”-approach, which clouds Godly understanding. Maybe, we don’t openly argue with God, but what about arguing with God’s true ministry, when they teach and expound to us the Word of God or Godly principles? Let’s notice Hosea’s warning to all of us today: “Now let no man contend, or rebuke another; For your people are like those who contend with the priest. Therefore you shall stumble in the day…” (Hosea 4:4-5).

Next time, when we are tempted to say, “but I think…”, let’s reconsider and ask the right question instead: “What does GOD think?”

Over the last several decades, the institution of marriage has come under intense pressure as more and more people, both young and old alike, have opted for co-habiting. My wife and I have just celebrated our ruby (40th) wedding anniversary. Over the years of our marriage we have seen the unfortunate changes in society where a more selfish and ungodly approach has become the norm. Unfortunately, many who do get married don’t remain in that God-ordained union.

At present, most of Britain’s 42 million adults are married, but the Government Actuary’s Department predicts that the British society will change significantly over the next two decades. By 2011, just 46% of women and 48% of men will be married in Britain.

Divorce statistics are very revealing. In the UK in 1961, there were 27,000 divorces and yet, 41 years later, in 2002, the figure has risen to 160,000. In the United States, in 1999 there were 8.4 marriages and 4.2 divorces per 1,000 total population, and in the year 2000, there were 21 million divorces. And now, according to one web site, divorce statistics are no longer collated in America. The rest of the world tends to follow, to one degree or another, these unfortunate trends. These statistics cannot possibly relate the sum total of human suffering that is generated by divorce. Perhaps that is a significant factor, but certainly not the only one, for those opting for co-habitation. A senior counselor at Relate, a UK relationship charity, said that many people cannot see the point of marriage since the loss of tax breaks and better rights for unmarried fathers make co-habitation “more appealing.” And, of course, the religious aspect of marriage no longer seems relevant in an increasingly secular society.

Right at the dawn of civilization, God instructed that “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife” (Genesis 2:24). There was no instruction for, or acceptance of, co-habitation, which is a state where there is no real evidence of marital commitment and where therefore fornication takes place. We are told to flee fornication (1 Corinthians 6:18).

When my wife and I were married in 1965, we expected our marriage to last until “death do us part” and we still do believe in this. Unfortunately today, it seems that marriage only lasts until the first sign of trouble. Divorce has been made relatively easy and so many don’t seem to want to work through their problems, instead taking what they think is the easier option.

The spiritual application of marriage is totally lost on an ungodly society which simply has little or no interest in the Creator. In Ephesians 5:22-33 we see that the Christian marriage of a husband and wife has a spiritual application to Christ and the Church. This is further confirmed in Revelation 19:7 where we are told that the marriage of the Lamb (Christ) has come and His wife (the Church) has made herself ready.

How sad that humans (seemingly) think that they know better than the One Who created them. As a consequence, they have to endure all of the misery and suffering that is the legacy of ignoring the wise advice freely available in the Bible. Irrespective of changes in society and the development of new cultural norms and attitudes, the institution of marriage between a man and a woman is holy and was created by God.

Everything else is just an ungodly counterfeit.

The book of Romans starts with an endearing introduction (Romans 1:6-13) where Paul tells the recipients of the letter, God’s chosen people, how renowned their faith is in the whole world. Also he tells how he would love nothing more than to come and see them and he prays such. Then Paul, who doesn’t mince words, gets serious right away talking about the way of the sinful, evil and wicked, and the acts that betray them. This is the way chapter 1 ends.

Romans 2:1-3 then comes to the heart of the matter. Here Paul tells them, the ones he regards so highly, that they are doing what they accuse others of doing. This has to cut to the quick. If you can imagine them reading this letter for the first time, they were, no doubt, echoing Paul’s sentiments about the state of the world that they were living in (Romans 1:21-32), that was up to the point that he accused them of doing the same thing. What a shock it must have been for these people called of God, to be compared with those whom God disdains.

The Passover season is now upon us. As we know, it is a time for introspection and self-assessment. Paul has given us some insight into making our efforts a little more profitable. During the course of the year we won’t have many people, if any, come up to us and tell us our faults and sins. So it is up to each one of us to try and take an honest inventory of who and what we are. ONE hint in doing this is to ask ourselves what it is that annoys and irks us in others…and then truthfully look into the mirror and see if we are guilty of what we accuse another. Do we get upset with others because it is a reflection of what we are doing? Is it a means of diverting attention away from the exact same thing that we are doing?

Instead of us being the Pot that calls the Kettle black, let’s realize that when we “point the finger” we need to be cognizant of where the 3 other fingers are pointing.

When Terry Ratzmann entered the rear of the Church hall at a Living Church of God service in Brookfield, Wisconsin, this past Sabbath and began firing his 9mm handgun, unloading 22 rounds from his weapon directed at his Church brethren, the members of the local congregation were stunned and in dismay, as were all members of the Churches of God when they heard of this horrific story. Ratzmann completed his horrifying deed, after having killed seven of his brethren and injuring another four critically, by turning his weapon upon himself and firing his last shot.

There can be no doubt that the true adversary of all of mankind, and especially of God’s Church at this end time, had inspired Ratzmann to carry through with this heinous attack against God’s people. Of course we understand that Satan may well have begun to increase his evil attacks as his time draws short and we approach the end of the time allotted by God for him to carry through with his evil thoughts to destroy all of mankind. In just a few short years now God will restrain Satan’s activities against mankind for 1,000 years and Satan knows this is certain.

Some have asked why God would allow such a thing to happen, especially in the Church. We do know that we are entering that time period when Satan’s evil tactics will increase considerably, compared to what God has allowed him to do in recent years. We are coming down to the end of this present age and God describes the events to befall mankind in great detail in numerous passages throughout His Word relative to Satan’s wrath. We must not lose sight of the fact that Satan is the present ruler over this world (Luke 4:5-7; John 14:30). However, that rulership is coming to an end, and Jesus Christ will soon replace Satan and will sit on the throne of His forefather, David, which has been reserved for His rulership (Luke 1:32-33), and He will rule with power over this world.

In Zechariah 13:8 we are told that after these things come into full force, two-thirds of the people in all the land will have been cut off (destroyed) and that one-third will have had to go through the fire (face severe trials) in order that they might be refined. Zechariah 14:3-4 tells us that in that day the LORD will be going forth to fight and that His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. The second coming of Christ will occur during a time of great turmoil upon the earth, specifics of which are outlined in Revelation 12:9-17.

We, in the meantime, must be preparing our own lives in order to stand in that day. In speaking to the churches in Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, it is revealed by Jesus Christ that remnants of four of the Churches of God (Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea) may be extant upon the earth during this eventful time revealed as “the time of the end,” as Christ comes to establish rule upon the earth.

Christ’s admonition to three of the groups (Thyatira, Sardis, and Philadelphia) is to “hold fast” to what they have been given. Two of the groups (Sardis and Laodicea) are admonished to repent. Specific promises are given to those who overcome Satan, the flesh, and this present evil world. Christ notes specifically that some, and specifically those of Laodicea, will have to go through further testing and refinement in order to become ready.

In addition to these prophecies, the Scriptures reveal more information relative to Satan’s end-time wrath which is coming to try the whole world, as is noted by Jesus Christ in Revelation 3:10 and in Matthew chapter 24. When we understand all these prophecies as noted here in this Editorial, we realize we all have much work to do in preparation. And added to this is our obligation to get a warning message out to the world and to reveal the good news of the coming Kingdom of God, which will usher in a time of peace and prosperity upon the earth the likes of which no one on earth today has ever seen.

You and I are admonished to be ready, for as Christ reveals in Matthew 24:36, “…of that day and hour no one knows … not even the angels in heaven, but My Father only.”

We must never become discouraged, dear brethren, as these horrific events unfold before us; but let us draw closer to one another and to our God, never letting down our guard. Let us ask our Father for the strength and courage provided to us through His Spirit, and let us do His Will in all things as these times draw to their conclusion. We must never forget Paul’s admonition to the Ephesian Church of his time and to you and me as members of the end-time Church of God:

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11).

This question was asked at the end of the Motion Picture, “Saving Private Ryan,” which was released a few years ago, depicting war in a graphic and realistic way. Private Ryan asked this question of his wife in a very emotional way during a visit to a cemetery of World War II soldiers — while the movie camera focused on thousands upon thousands of casualties of war, identified by white crosses.

Private Ryan’s mother used to have three sons. The War Department had already informed the family that two of her sons had been killed in war. When the fate of her third son — Private Ryan — had become uncertain, the War Department sent out a group of soldiers to locate Private Ryan and to bring him home safely. It was felt that losing two sons in war was a sufficient sacrifice for any family. The soldiers who were sent out to locate Private Ryan were all killed in the process of saving him. They sacrificed their lives to save him. This was the reason why he asked his wife whether he had been a good man. Was he really “worthy” enough for the ultimate sacrifice these men had made for him by paying with their lives so that he could live?

The question for us today is this: Have we been a good man or woman in our lives? As in the case of Private Ryan, someone was willing to die for us so that we could live. That Person was a Righteous Man Who was willing to die for our past sins so that we would not have to suffer eternal death. This Righteous Man was more than just an ordinary person; He was our beloved Savior, the God of the Old Testament Who gave up His Divinity to become a Man, so that He could die for us.

When Christ gave His life for us, we were NOT good people. None of us were. In fact, we were His enemies, deceived by the god of this world–Satan the devil–following the carnal lusts of the flesh. We were most certainly not “worthy” to receive the opportunity for eternal life through the Sacrifice of Christ.

But we CAN become good people. It is interesting what Christ said about being a good man in Matthew 12:35: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things.” On another occasion He said: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). He recognized that it was God the Father, living in Him, Who made Him good. This is true of us also. David said, in Psalm 119:172: “For all your commandments are righteousness.” We too can be righteous if God’s Spirit in us is leading us and we are obedient to His commandments.

Very soon now we will be keeping the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. This is a special time for us, both to examine ourselves and to work on putting sin out of our lives. While we meditate on these things, let us never forget the tremendous sacrifice Christ made for us, willingly giving up His life as a God being, and subsequently His physical life, to make available to us eternal life. As we reflect on these things set before us, let us ask ourselves the same question which Private Ryan asked: “Have I been a good man?”

Bible prophecies forewarn of global disasters, of wars and national enslavement, of every living creature in the sea dying, and of human death on a scale that is, quite frankly, unimaginable! There is this and much more yet ahead for those who live in the very last generation before Jesus is sent to save this planet.

All of these bad things can seem far-off or unreal if we are not careful.

How about you? Do you really believe what God has said? The record of other generations and of other ages shows that the vast majority ignores warnings. Jesus spoke of the time leading up to His return in this way: “‘But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be'” (Matthew 24:37-39).

What can we say about ourselves? Are we doing what we should to be prepared for the future, or have we become comfortable–even judging ourselves as ready for the times ahead?

Jesus taught that His followers must continue to serve Him. He did so against a backdrop of admonition that even some of His servants would let down (Compare Luke 12:35-48). This very thing is happening right now to Christians of our day! Is it happening to you?

One measure–one way of evaluating ourselves–is to look at our service to God. In that service, there are requirements, and it is indeed a challenge to live up to those things we know we should do. However, even fulfilling our minimal “duties” is not sufficient if we want to be considered good and faithful servants of God.

Our attitude, or at least the approach we must strive to have as members of God’s Church, is summarized in the following teaching from Jesus: “‘So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, “We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do”‘” (Luke 17:10).

If we understand the unparalleled gift of God’s calling and if we understand that God has placed upon all of us responsibilities for service to Him, then we need to also consider the following: “‘…For everyone to whom MUCH is given, from him MUCH will be required; and to whom MUCH has been committed, of him they will ask the MORE'” (Luke 12:48).

When that happens, we will have an opportunity to abundantly serve God, but just doing that once or for a little while–even, perhaps, for a few years–is not enough! We must continue to serve God faithfully with the goal to do all that we can–to go beyond what is required and to become truly profitable servants of God.

Almost a year ago, I wrote in an editorial, “Would we be ready if Christ were to return today? Not that He will — but ARE WE READY, NOW?… Rather than trying to figure out when, exactly, Christ will return, we should concentrate on getting READY for that event… ‘Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect’ (Matthew 24:44).” (Editorial, “Are We Ready–Now?”, Update #152, July 16, 2004).

In about two months, baptized members of the Church of God will be partaking of the annual Passover. Before they do, they will examine themselves as to their spiritual condition, so that they may eat the bread and drink the wine in a worthy manner (1 Corinthians 11:27-29). When they are ready to eat the Passover, they proclaim “the Lord’s death till He comes” (verse 26).

Some have wondered what being “ready” for Christ’s return means, in practical application. We must be SPIRITUALLY ready, not living in spiritual darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:4). Rather than sleeping and being drunk with the ideas of this world, we are to be “sober” and to watch our own spiritual make-up (verse 6). But, getting or being “ready” does definitely NOT mean, ceasing to work hard, pursuing a career, or putting our whole being into the necessary activities of this physical life. It may be tempting to say: “Since Christ will be returning soon, why should I concentrate on going to college, getting an education, finding a satisfying and somewhat stable job, getting married, having children, or enjoying this physical life in the right way?” But such thoughts are not in accordance with the Holy Scriptures.

The Bible’s timeless admonition in this regard is very illustrative, and must be carefully applied, especially by members of God’s Church. Notice just a few examples, dealing with our duty to work:

“For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:10-13).

“Let him who stole steal no longer [including wasting time — the time of others, as well as God’s time given to us, by not doing what God has instructed us to do], but rather let him labor, working with his hands [and with his mind and energy] what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need” (Ephesians 4:28).

“He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, But he who follows frivolity [Lit. vain things] is devoid of understanding” (Proverbs 12:11; compare Proverbs 28:19).

“In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter [Lit. talk of the lips] leads only to poverty” (Proverbs 14:23).

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

“In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand” (Ecclesiastes 11:6)

“The hand of the diligent will rule [including preparing diligently for a career in which one will ultimately excel; compare Proverbs 21:5: “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty…”], But the lazy man will be put to forced labor [e.g., he will have to work in an unsatisfying position]” (Proverbs 12:24).

“Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger” (Proverbs 19:15)

“Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But he who gathers BY LABOR will increase” (Proverbs 13:11).

Of course, God warns us not to overwork for the purpose of becoming rich (Proverbs 23:4), and not to “trust in uncertain riches” (1 Timothy 6:17). But this does not mean that we should cease working, if we are able to work (We are not addressing, of course, those who are unable to work because of health reasons or old age). In fact, Proverbs 27:23-24 tells us: “Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds; For riches are not forever…”

In addition, God commanded that a man and a woman should get married — provided, that they are compatible. If we are patient, God WILL provide the right mate for us. Proverbs 18:22 tells us: “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD.” We also read that “a prudent wife is from the LORD” (Proverbs 19:14). And notice that a prudent or virtuous wife works hard, as described in Proverbs 31:

“(Verse 13) She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands… (Verse 16) She considers a field and buys it; From her profit she plants a vineyard… (Verse 21) She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet. (Verse 22) She makes tapestry for herself… (Verse 24) She makes linen garments and sells them… (Verse 27) She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness… (Verse 31) Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.”

At the same time, we are told that we are to first prepare financially for marriage through our work and a good education: “Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house” (Proverbs 24:27). Some may feel that they should not get married or have children, because of the times that we are living in. There may indeed come a time in the future, when this might be an appropriate advice (compare 1 Corinthians 7:26-27). But that time is not here yet! And we don’t know, exactly, when it will arrive. In the meantime, we are to live by obeying the specific commands of God.

To get ready for the return of Christ INCLUDES living diligently in obedience to God’s laws of labor, so that we are able to provide for ourselves and those in our care (compare 1 Timothy 5:8; Proverbs 13:22). Our physical labor will have a reward, and the way we conduct our work may even determine whether we will inherit eternal life. Proverbs 10:16 says: “The labor of the righteous leads to life, the wages of the wicked to sin.”