THE LORD SPOKE (October 30)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Jeremiah 45-48

Jeremiah 48:10 - A curse on him who is lax in doing the Lord’s work!

In our grandparents’ day there was more talk of a “work ethic”. It was something that was drilled into you. The importance of a job well done came from a high standard. We’ve lost a lot of that in recent years in America. Our gimme-gimme society is more concerned with the bottom line than in how you got there. Our own work quality has suffered - never mind God’s work.

But God has high standards. He expects our best. Laxness in doing the Lord’s work is unacceptable. In what ways might we be lax in our work for Him?

1. no work - allowing it to go undone or just not taking it seriously
2. poor quality work - doing it sloppily
3. half-hearted work - not motivated or passionate about His cause
4. rushed work - last-minute or un-planned timing
5. too much work - taking on more than you can handle adequately
6. work in the flesh - trying to bull your own way through
7. work for the wrong motives - personal gain or glory
8. unfinished work - maybe started well but lacked follow-through

Any of the above would constitute laxness in the Lord’s work. Let it never be. Make a commitment to give of your best to the Master. Consider the following Scriptures:

Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto man. (Colossians 3:23)

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:17)

When we have done all these things let us say, “We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do. (Luke 17:10)

Work for the night is coming when no man can work. (John 9:4)

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)


Psalms 87-88

Is God a Zionist? “Zionism” is both hard to define and yet a very simple concept. Skipping, for a moment, the modern political movement, “Zionism” may be defined as “a love for Zionism”.

The name “Zion” is found for the first time in Scripture in II Samuel 5:7 when David captured a fortress of that name belonging to the Jebusites. That little southeastern hill became the nucleus of Jerusalem and, as the City of David expanded, “Zion” was one of its favorite monikers. From the original fortress the name expanded to include not only the whole city but the very concept of going up to Jerusalem. “We’re marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God” has even found its way into modern Christian hymnody.

When Theodor Herzl convened the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland in 1897, he succeeded in drawing together a broad range of “Zionists” from across the religious and political spectrum. Though there have been many variations on the theme and even some serious splits, the fundamental idea has remained the same: the land of Zion belongs to the Jewish people. The modern political movement may be defined as the organized effort in the historical aspirations of the Jewish people to reconstitute itself as a political, economic, religious, and cultural entity in its ancient homeland.

So now we’re back to the initial question: Is God a Zionist? Since it was He who began the concept, it’s pretty easy to provide an answer. Ever since the original promises to Abraham, God has given the Land to his descendants forever (see Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 15:18; 17:8; 23:18; 24:7; 26:3-4; 35:12; 48:4; 50:24 - and that’s just Genesis!). God took special care to repeat this promise throughout the Old Testament - it’s found in one form or another in nearly every book.

Yes, God loves Zion (Ps. 87:2) and has made it His dwelling place forever (Ps. 68:16; 76:2). He is Himself “a wall of fire around it” (Zech. 2:5-7) and will certainly fulfill His purpose there through His chosen people. According to all the prophets, Jerusalem will still see some difficult days but ultimately she will be enshrined throughout all eternity as the Holy City - the city set apart for God’s good pleasure.