Una Sancta

Dust on the Bible

Recently I came across a song with the above title “Dust on the Bible”. The author of that song went to visit some friends and after chatting about church for a while, he asked for a Bible. These friends had many books and magazines in their house, but a Bible was nowhere to be found. Finally, one of them found one and gave it to his visitor, who was shocked to find it had a thick layer of dust all over it. It was very obvious to him that his friends had not used their Bible for a very long time. Dust on the Holy Word. How is that possible? For a very long time they had excluded the voice of the Lord from their lives. For a long time, they had been without the light of God’s Word. Yes, they were Christians, but their lives were so busy. They had no time to spend with the words of life. They were nominal Christians.

The Precious Word
How is it possible that his friends had not read the Bible for so long, and that they were not ashamed? It was clear they thought it was little more than an ancient book which had long lost its value for present day life. According to them it belonged in a museum because it had no use for their daily lives.

Sadly, they didn’t realise how precious the Bible is, how it gives us guidance for daily life, that it is a book of comfort, that it encourages us and strengthens us from day to day. They had lost that beautiful reality that our Bible is like a road map, unerringly guiding us on the road of life. It guides us like a lantern in the dark. Our Bible is a very precious book. If we don’t realise how precious it is, we might wake up to it when it is taken away from us during times of persecution. I am reminded of a story I read many years ago in a Mission paper about a village in China. There was not one person who owned a Bible in that whole village. But there was one page of the Bible. And that page was so very precious to the villagers that it was passed around from house to house. They could hardly wait for their next turn to come around. This single page was very dear to them, and they were quite excited when it was their turn to have that one precious page in their house.

As Free Reformed Christians we are blessed with many copies of the Bible. Those of us who have been around for a while will have several copies of the old King James version, the NKJV, the RSV and perhaps the NIV as well as the ESV. With all that wealth in our house, are we truly aware how richly blessed we are? Do we use the privileges and opportunities the Lord gives us? God has been good to us and has preserved His Word for us through the centuries. We have more than ONE PAGE! We are richly blessed with having the WHOLE Bible! Is the Bible also precious to us?
The Bible is the most read book in the whole world. It’s not only the most read book, but it is also the most precious book because it contains the Word of God. As David reminds us in Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. It gives light on our path in this dark and troubled world. We should make thankful use of God’s Word when He blesses us with such a lamp and light to guide our feet and to light our path.

Bible reading
Regular Bible reading will be a blessing to every believer. Why do it regularly? We eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, don’t we? That daily food is to nurture our bodies. Likewise regular Bible reading is our spiritual food. We can do without food for a while. That won’t kill us. But going without reading our Bible can have disastrous consequences for our spiritual life, for our relationship with our Lord. It will be beneficial to form good Bible reading habits. These days life is very busy but that’s exactly when we need the strength from God’s Word. If you think you are too busy to read God’s Word, just check the time you spend with your mobile phone or on Facebook. Martin Luther was also a very busy man, but he read the Bible through at least twice every year. He said:
“If you picture the Bible to be a mighty tree and every word a little branch, I have shaken every one of these branches because I wanted to know what it was and what it meant.”
Luther was very much aware that the Bible is not just a book of dead letters but the Book of Life, for it contains the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. He believed that from Genesis to Revelation the Bible was all about Jesus Christ and therefore he could say with the words of Psalm 119:103 “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”.

Bible Study
If there are some among us who don’t read the Bible, and I hope there aren’t any, then get the dust off the Bible. And, very importantly, if you haven’t already done that, join a Bible Study Club in your congregation. Studying God’s Word together is very stimulating and discussing a Bible passage together is very enriching.
Let us not allow dust to settle on our Bibles, for that will have disastrous consequences. I am reminded of the very familiar words from Hosea 4:6 where we read:
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
These are serious warnings. If we neglect God’s Word, we can only expect serious troubles. Without the light of God’s Word, we will be groping around in the dark and get hopelessly lost. Let us, therefore, memorise these words I mentioned above from Psalm 119:105 and engrave them on our heart: “Your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light on our path”.
Memorising various Bible texts or passages that are dear to you is a very beneficial spiritual exercise. I don’t expect us to be like Tom Meyer, who memorises 20 complete books of the Bible.
Tom Meyer (born May 9, 1976), known as The Bible Memory Man, is an American public speaker known for his ability to quote over 20 complete books of the Bible dramatically from memory. His book “The Memorization Study Bible” (2018) is published by Master Books, and specifically facilitates the memorization of the Bible, a popular spiritual exercise.

Chuck Swindoll sums it all up perfectly in his book “Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life”:
I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture… No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.
From what I hear about the attendance at the various Bible Study Clubs, apparently only a few turn up. Such poor attendance and participation give the impression many of us do not take the study of God’s Word seriously. Of course, some will do it privately at home, but let us not underestimate the value of studying the Bible together. How many of us consciously open the Bible each day with the desire to know God better and more intimately?
If we use God’s Word regularly, we will find rich treasures in the Word. We will find comfort when we are sorrowful. We will receive encouragement when we feel despondent. We will discover the words of salvation, and our hearts will be glad, so that we will break forth into song.

Leo Schoof

The philosopher Socrates once said: ‘An unexamined life is not worth living.’ He was a Greek philosopher who lived in the fifth century before Christ, and his worldview was not Christian in any way. However, there is a great deal of truth that we can take for our lives today. It is easy for us to move through life as if we are on autopilot. We drift from moment to moment, going through the motions of each day without paying much attention to what is happening or how we are responding. Events happen and we tend to be caught up in the current of change that they bring. As life continues to flow around us, we move forward without much thought to what exactly is happening.

This can be especially true for our lives spiritually. We coast along, doing what we think is the right thing, maybe becoming involved in certain church committees or other activities because it is good to do, or because it is expected of us. We are motivated to do what God commands of us but often don’t think all that deeply about what is really going on in our hearts. Our lives bear evidence of God in the bigger details but when we look to where we are in the small, insignificant details, there isn’t all that much evidence of who rules our lives.

A big part of biblical counselling is looking at the details of our lives in the light of Scripture. Not just the big or important moments but the little, every day, seemingly insignificant ones. What does our behaviour in those moments say about who our God is? What are we believing about God and about ourselves that leads us to respond in such a way? Who is God and how is he working in the mundane parts of your life? This is something that is helpful for every one of us, not only those who are hurting. We are all called to examine our lives and hold them in the light of scripture.

In 2 Peter 1:10 we are told to be “all the more diligent to confirm our calling and election.” As Reformed believers, we believe that God has chosen us and that is not based on anything that we do. At the same time, we are called to actively be sure of our calling. This is not something that can happen if we are on autopilot.
As we look to the wider passage, Peter reminds us of that great and wonderful calling that we have been chosen into: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (vv. 3-4)

Our election is not merely an election to eternal life. It is an election and a calling to continually grow in Christlikeness. A calling to fellowship and communion with the triune God that does not happen if we are drifting through our lives. Peter continues: “For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” (vv. 5-7)

Here Peter is giving us very specific qualities, tangible things for us to be busy with—qualities that we can take the time to examine in ourselves and see where we might be drifting, or where we might be caught up in the current of the world around us. Below is a list of questions that fit into those different points, designed to help you dig deeper into your own heart and examine what is really going on.

• Are you continuing to make every effort to grow your faith? Are you busy holding on to the promises of God? What are you doing so that you may grow in trust and confidence that he is busy in the details of your life, a faith that extends beyond your salvation and eternal life? Do you trust that everything that is happening to you and those around you is for your good (Romans 8:28)?

• Are you constantly growing in knowledge of who your God is and what he has done? What other knowledge are you consuming? How are those voices influencing you? Are you swayed by the noise of the world around you? Are their more persuasive voices that you find yourself aligning yourself with? What are you doing to fill yourself with knowledge of the triune God?

• Are you growing in self-control? Do you have an awareness of your emotions and the directions they might be pulling you in? How do you respond when you are commanded/mandated to do something you don’t like (e.g., wear masks, drive a certain speed)? Do you have enough space in your life so that you can engage your emotions with the God of the universe?

• Do you stand firm and steadfast, unswayed by the influences of the world and the circumstances of your life? Are you grounded and secure in the Rock that is your Saviour? Do you whole heartedly sing along with David, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold?” What happens to you as you find yourself facing the storms of life? Do you take refuge in God, or are there things that distract you? In what ways do you find yourself drifting, reaching out for quick comforts, escaping into ideas that only protect you for a moment?

• Are you growing in godliness? What evidence of the fruit of the Spirit is in your life? How is it growing? Does your life bear testimony to the triune God? Not just in the big things but in the small details: how drive your car, your spending habits, the way you respond to a dog barking when you are trying to sleep, how you interact with people in the grocery store, and person you are at 10.30 on a Tuesday morning. These things matter. Do those moments bear fruit as you live to serve God and those around you?

• How do you show brotherly affection? How do you respond and interact with those who have a different opinion than you? Do you interact with people who think differently to you, or are different in some way (e.g., age, life stage, marital status, education)? Do you seek to understand and move toward your brothers and sisters in Christ? What does this look like specifically, right now, as you engage with others who think differently about vaccinations?

• What are you doing to show love to God and to your neighbour? What do some of the behaviours you have reflected on say about the relationship you have with God as you move about you daily moments? What are you doing to make every effort to show love to your family, to your friends, to others in your church and to those in your community? How are you loving your neighbour?

Peter continues, “For if these qualities are yours and increasing, they keep your from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.” (vv. 8-9)

We must not drift. The Holy Spirit is continually at work in us, sanctifying and nurturing us so that we do bear fruit. It is with the power of the Holy Spirit that we can have the humility and insight to reflect on what these questions reveal about our hearts. It is with the power of the Holy Spirit that we continue to hold on to the grace that God has extended us in our election.

“Therefore brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (vv. 10-11)

Let us continue to grow together, encouraging each other just as Peter was encouraging his readers. May we continue to grow, always making every effort to build on our faith and draw into a closer fellowship with the triune God.

Camille de Vos
Trellis Counselling

Enlightened Selfishness

She had just learned to speak a little, but her intent and focus was clear to all: “Me first.” It was her mantra from the moment she was able to speak into any and all situations. (Christian upbringing caused a happy ending to this mantra, and the #1 Syndrome evaporated over time, you will be pleased to know.)

Egotism
For many in society, however, the phenomenon of putting oneself first in line continues to be problematic. It is a bane to societal functioning. Why is this so? Dennis Weaver in his excellent work ‘Ideas Have Consequences’ observes that the sin of egotism always takes the form of withdrawal. What he means is that striving for personal advantage becomes paramount; the individual gets out of step with his or her community, the community where people are related on the plane of spirituality, sentiment, and sympathy.

Such withdrawal, which has been given the euphemism of ‘enlightened selfishness,’ is pulverizing society. It is the simple nature of egotism that the ‘I’ becomes dominant and the entire environment in which the person functions suffers a distortion, a dissonance, a breakdown of harmony. The Greek philosopher Plato saw it as follows, “The excessive love of self is in reality the source to each man of all offenses; for the lover is blinded about the beloved, so that he judges wrongly of the just, the good, and the honorable, and thinks that he ought always prefer his own interest to the truth.” Self-absorption is a process of cutting oneself off from reality and social harmony.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, the American novelist (1804-1864), called selfishness ‘the unpardonable sin.’ He has a point. Self-absorption sets the ‘I’ on the throne of supremacy, the throne which rightly is owned by God, and gainsays all that God the Holy Spirit strives to work in the human being as part of a societal body. The English philosopher and statesman Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626), by contrast, puts forth the idea that ‘knowledge is power,’ implying that knowledge leads to the desirable social status of domination, inflation of self. It is a concept which reduces knowledge to utilitarianism, looking to what extent knowing something is useful. This is instead of having a knowledge of the true and the good, as the Creator-God set it forth in His realm (and which is integral to the character of God Himself), a knowledge which aims at promoting the fruit of the Spirit in all societal contexts.

Work as Worship
Is all the aforesaid relevant? Does owning or not owning the right concept of self and knowledge make any difference to the way a society operates? Absolutely! Just ask any business owner who employs several workers. When utilitarianism becomes enthroned and the worker is taught that work is a mere necessity and not worship, interest in quality will inevitably decline. Pride in workmanship will evaporate, and employment is reduced to doing the job with minimal effort and still getting the paycheck.

By contrast, there is the worker who sees work as worship. He understands that bringing glory to God is done by virtue of being the best craftsman he can be, by showing righteous abhorrence of shoddy workmanship and lax task approaches. His task is to set the beauty of God before all, and at all times. He knows that work is not about earning money primarily, it is about honouring God. One preacher astutely remarked that God does not need to have honour directed at Himself, for He is self-sufficient; rather that He is to be set before His fallen creatures as the One worthy of all honour. Consequently, the God-oriented worker will not have the paycheck as the goal of his labour, but his primary concern will be about setting forth the beauty of His Lord in all situations. Labour then is not a commodity; it is an act of worship. He will also contribute to church and the wider society willingly and with full commitment, even when there is no financial gain to be had.

When the egotist thinks of himself first and the task second, he is reducing the concept of work to a means of profit rather than duty and honour; he suffers from enlightened egotism. It is a phenomenon that this author has caught among young people in the church as they discuss among themselves the prospect of certain jobs on offer. Much of the conversation revolves around how much money for effort is at stake. Some decide not to accept a (part-time) job because it does not pay enough. Here we see a manifestation of enlightened selfishness, where the person is effectively saying, “I am worth more,” and the job is not regarded as an opportunity of worship and God-glorification. It is, from the Biblical perspective, a worrying reductionist view of work. Indeed, it would be an unpopular man who should suggest to many of the present generation that work is a divine ordinance.
However, when men cease to believe that work is a divine ordinance, their attitude toward it is limited to material gratification. Work is no longer to be performed as ‘under my great Taskmaster’s eye,’ but for my boss whom I don’t rate all that much. It leaves people usually discontent with their portion and dubious about whether work is a good thing at all. Thus we get slogans on T-shirts which unashamedly proclaim that ‘I work for the weekend,’ or ‘I hate Mondays.’ This author was advised not to buy a car which had been assembled on a Monday or a Friday, because there would be a good chance that the weekend gremlin might have wrought recall potential in the machine.

Thinking of Myself Less
It has been said that ministry and Christian school teaching are vocations or callings, and so they are. But let it be clear that all our work environments, be they paid or unpaid, at school as students, or as politicians in government, are callings ‘under my great Taskmaster’s eye.’ He who calls you is the owner of all this real estate on which we exercise our God-given cultural mandate. Those who understand this will have as their mantra what a US military pilot had written on his business cards: ‘Me third’ (after God and my neighbour).

As Tim Keller, an American apologist says, “The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and snivelling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.”

Herm Zandman
FRC Southern River

The First Commandment

Could it be that many of us have a limited understanding of how we break the first few commandments? I gave an example of this in a previous article when I related how a Church member had flung at me: “And besides, just give me an example of how I broke the first or second or third commandments this past week. I did not have any other gods before God! I did not make or bow down before any images, and I did not take the Name of the LORD my God in vain!”

I therefore set out to gain an increased understanding of how we can and do so easily break these commandments of our LORD – not in an effort to weigh us down with an increased burden of our guilt, but to discover how particular God is in seeking our undivided love and obedience, as well as consequentially increasing our awareness of how great His love is for us, in that He provided a way for us to be counted worthy of His undivided love in His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

And yet, the ten commandments are framed within a negative context. Eight times we hear “You shall not ..” and we can conclude from this that God formulated these laws from the perspective that man is a sinner – conceived and born in sin and inclined to all evil. In the law we have a mirror in which we look to see ourselves as we really are: You shall not kill, because by nature you are a murderer; You shall not commit adultery, because by nature you really are an adulterer. And the prohibition does not just apply to the deed, but very much also to the thought! As stated by Prof. Douma (1996, p.10),

It is absolutely essential that we come to know the law in this unmasking function. For then it delivers us from all conceit and self-righteousness. We might also put it this way: the law of God liberates us from conceit and self-righteousness. It tells us clearly that we had better not look for our salvation in being decent or moral or law-abiding, but that we can only be declared righteous through a living bond with Christ – who has fulfilled the whole law. Apart from Christ, the law condemns us; but in the hands of Christ, the law remains the charter of our liberty. It functions this way as the fountain for knowing our misery (it drives us to Christ) and as the rule for gratitude (it teaches us the form for Christian living).

Since the law can be summarised with the words Christ Himself gave: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength, and you shall love your neighbour as yourself, it becomes evident that every commandment can also be understood as having a positive context. Thus “you shall have no other gods before me” implies: “you shall serve the LORD your God, and Him only shall you serve!” And again it needs to be kept in mind that the starting point and goal of all the commandments is love. God desires our heart, a heart of flesh that beats with love for Him and His service.

The first commandment reads: “You shall have no other gods before me.” Short, simple and to the point. Is perhaps our first reaction: That is an easy one to keep – I serve only one God? If we were to take this commandment literally, then yes, there are no other gods, so this commandment does not appear to have any relevance for Reformed people today. Modern man knows better than to believe in Baal or Zeus or Thor. But if we understand what idolatry really is – that it is having something or someone else in which we place our trust besides God, then it will become readily apparent that we so easily can slip into the sin of idolatry. Scripture teaches us that idolatry can also live apart from idol names. We read that a man’s strength can be his god (Hab.1:1). We are familiar with the god of money – Mammon (Matt. 6:24), and covetousness is explicitly called idolatry (Coll. 3:5). We can also make our stomach our god (Phill.3:19) The thing you work for, sacrifice for, and live for, and cannot do without – that is your god!

The gods of today are extremely powerful. The god of man’s manipulation of science determines how we interpret the origins of this world; the god of reason can determine how we interpret Scripture; the god of technology can determine how we spend our time and how we think. Douma (p18) refers to how ancient interpreters used to speak of the three-headed idol when they quoted John’s warnings against worldliness: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16) Man’s passion for power and riches so readily become addictions, something to depend on, something that has a powerful hold on our heart so that it becomes something we are unable to do without – and thus it becomes the god whom we serve. And in so doing, we are falling into the idolatry Paul warns us against in Romans 1:24 – 25:

Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonour their bodies amongst themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forevermore. Amen.

It is this aspect that makes idolatry so utterly foolish, so utterly evil. All of the idols referred to above, such as money, power, science, reason, technology, sex, food – all of these things are good and wonderful gifts from our Creator to be used in His service for the benefit of man! But when they are separated from God and used to satisfy man’s sinful desires and lusts, then they become his gods – cruel taskmasters which will ultimately destroy him. We do not need to look beyond the lives of today’s film and pop stars to see how this is so true!

This is the world we live in, which confronts us whichever way we turn. It exerts a powerful attraction on our old nature, so that we readily immerse ourselves in it and join in with this worship of creation rather than the Creator. How shall we ever be able to resist this influence in our lives? How will we be able to remain holy to the LORD?

In a sermon from Rev. S ‘tHart focussing on Daniel 1:8, we are instructed by the response of Daniel and his three friends to the requirement by King Nebuchadnezzar to conform to Babylon. We read in verse 8 that Daniel “purposed that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank.” And why was this so important for Daniel? Writes Rev ‘tHart:

By eating and drinking from the king’s table, not only would Daniel and his friends have had new, Babylonian names imposed upon them, but they would have accepted and embraced their new identities as being – not children of God and members of Zion, but – belonging to Nebuchadnezzar and citizens of Babylon.

In drawing parallels with today’s world, Rev ‘tHart writes:
The world isn’t content with you just learning about them: the world wants you to become one with them. The world isn’t content with you tolerating the things they believe and practice, the world wants you to champion what they believe and practice. The world wants you to approve of their way of life and to join them in it.

So how were Daniel and his friends able to resist this very real temptation, this attack on their identity as children of God? Scripture only reveals to us that Daniel purposed not to defile himself. This implies that he gave careful consideration to how he could remain faithful, no doubt with fervent prayers for wisdom and strength and courage, as well as discussing this together with his friends and encouraging each other in their resolve. And the rest of Daniel 1 demonstrates clearly that there is no doubt that God enabled them and richly blessed them.

Allow me to conclude this article with the observations of Prof Douma again:
As you listen to the first commandment, you hear in it the liberation of which the prologue to the Ten Commandments bears witness. Yahweh demands the whole person, but in this total commitment of the person to this one God, lies his greatest freedom. The one who serves Yahweh will live under His blessing, but the one who serves idols will always languish in bondage. … It makes no difference whether you kneel in terror before images of deities, or stand arrogantly on your own two feet. You either glorify God or you enthrone a creature (Rom. 1:21 – 32) Man stands free only if he is willing to live by grace, otherwise he stoops like a slave oppressed by the powers of this world.

Hopefully, food for thought again. Next time: what do we think of God?

References:
1. Douma J., The Ten Commandments, Manual for the Christian Life. Inheritance Publications, Neerlandia, 1996.
2. ‘tHart S., Sermon on Daniel 1 :8

Gerrit van der Wal

Why You Should Read – part 1

Back when I was in Years 6 and 7, we had to do lessons from a little booklet called ‘Words are Important.’ At the time I didn’t love those lessons, because it was all about using new vocabulary and learning to spell difficult words like “occasion” and “liaison” and “vacuum.” But it’s true: words are important.

A Life Without Words

Imagine life without a proper supply of words, and without a knowledge of how to use them. What if we didn’t have the words to pray, to convey our burdens to the Father, or words to confess our sins, or to request his help? What if we couldn’t read Scripture in a meaningful way, because we weren’t able to stay focused long enough, or because many of the bigger words were lost to us? Terrible to ponder.

Or imagine not being able to express our mind to other people. We have a fresh insight or a compassionate thought, but because we lack the words, we can’t communicate it. And so, we stay silent or we say something poorly presented (and badly received). Think of how many good ideas would be lost, steps of progress never made, or fitting things never spoken, because we didn’t have the right words.

Consider not being able to evaluate an argument, unable to sort out rhetoric from the truth. If we can’t cut through fine-sounding language in a discerning way, imagine how easily we’d be led astray. We would be susceptible if someone was bent on spreading conspiracy theories, a godless agenda, or false teaching.

Maybe it’s hard to imagine such things. But reading is a vital skill with wide reaching consequences. You’ve surely heard it before, or said it yourself, “I am not a reader.” To some extent, we need to banish that way of thinking. Reading is for all people. Granted, it can be a challenge. But we should see the obvious truth that language is used by everyone and that it is essential for everyone.

Backing Up

Our emphasis on reading has a backstory. You will know that Christians are called “people of the book” because our faith assumes the priority of the Word. It begins with God himself, for our God is a speaking God. Think of the opening words of the Bible, “And God said…” (Gen 1:3). From that first creative moment, He has continued to speak, using powerful words to fulfill his plans and to communicate his grace to mankind. All of Scripture is described as ‘God-breathed’ (2 Tim 3:16), for they are words uttered by the Lord himself. In his grace, God is a speaking God.

So, it’s little wonder that another name for God the Son is the Word (see John 1: “The Word became flesh”). Christ is the ultimate revelation of God’s will, because He taught us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption (LD 12). It says in Hebrews 1:1-2, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” The entire Word of God has its climax in the God who is the Word.

Opening the Word and flipping through its pages feels very natural to us, yet we tend to forget just how explosive this book really is. Listen to what the LORD says in Jeremiah 23:29, “Is not my word like fire… and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” God’s Word is like a fire, like a hammer, with a mighty power. This ancient book is God’s living Word, and He uses it to accomplish his work among his people.
And Scripture is a written word. It’s not just a collection of oral histories, but words written down thoughtfully in a wide variety of genres and styles. While the Bible is not merely literature, it is certainly is literature. It is literature in the sense that it is rooted in the human experience, and in the sense that its literary form is important to our proper understanding. A person who opens Scripture will encounter poetry, narrative, epic, tragedy, satire, proverbs, legal material, parables, prophecy, epistles, oratory, apocalypse, and more. How you read each of these literary forms of Scripture is different, and this shapes our interpretation of God’s Word.

Threats to Reading

Now let’s contrast our word-speaking God and his word-shaped people with the circumstances in which we live today. I came across a recent survey which “revealed that 25 percent of Americans admit to not having read a single book, in part or in whole, in the past year.” Undoubtedly, the situation is similar here in Australia. And it may be only slightly better in the church. Are people reading books at all?

It has been said that our contemporary culture has become alliterate—not illiterate, but alliterate—for it is not that we cannot read, but we do not read. For now we live in the age of the Internet. It’s the world of hyper-fast media, where sounds and images come at high rates of speed, leaving an impact but affording little time to evaluate. Instead of reading books, people spend vast amounts of time on the Internet. The result is that a culture formerly dominated by words has become a culture dominated by images. And this has a pronounced impact on our schools, on our homes, and our churches, on ways of thinking, social structures, and cultural habits.

An important question is about how this new kind of media environment has, and is, shaping the ways we think and speak. Nicholas Carr wrote a fascinating book, The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. In it he says that “the linear mind is being pushed aside by a new kind of mind that wants and needs to take in and dole out information in short, disjointed, often overlapping bursts—the faster, the better.” In this Internet age, “We become acclimated to distraction, multitasking, giving part of our attention to many things at once, while almost never devoting the entire attention of the entire soul to anything.”

This is how one author puts it, “What the Net seems to be doing is chipping away at my capacity for concentration and contemplation. Whether I’m online or not, my mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a jet ski.”

A life spent ‘zipping along the surface’ results in us being familiar only with scattered thoughts and disconnected ideas. If a person’s mind is saturated with the sort of content widely available on the internet, it becomes harder to gain skills for clear expression. Good communication requires unity, an intent to be instructive, a commitment to one or two main ideas, a movement and order. And many of us are losing these skills.

Losses and a Look to the Future

As we lose our ability in reading, ponder what else we lose. We become less well-informed about what is important. We become less patient for listening to others, because we’re used to the internet’s rapid flow of information. We become less independent-minded. As we said, we also struggle to communicate clearly and well—just think of how we all use emojis to express ourselves because we don’t have the words. Instead of searching for the right word to describe or communicate, we’re searching for the right emoji.
Maybe someone says, “Well, that’s just the way the world is going. Not a whole lot we can do about it—adapt or perish.” But we have to recognize that even if many people choose to be aliterate, reading and using language will remain powerful. Words will always have a massive impact wherever and whenever they’re spoken or written.

Says Leland Ryken, “Even if literacy continues to decline in Western civilization as the electronic media progressively dominate culture, it is obvious that someone will control what the media say. The people with mastery of words will continue to hold the greatest influence over the masses of people. If the right people do not possess the power of words, the wrong people will.”

So, are we still keeping up our training in words? Are we getting ready to read and write and speak in this world, with good effect, for the glory of God’s name and the advance of the gospel? The importance of this becomes even more clear when we consider why it’s good to read: to know God, and to serve our neighbour. That’s what we’ll look at next time.

Rev Reuben Bredenhof
FRC Mount Nasura

Book Review

]Jonah wasn’t a very good missionary. He was a stubborn man, fearful and selfish. From the start he was reluctant to obey God’s call to go and preach to the people of Nineveh. Jonah didn’t seem to care much about the people on his mission field, whether they repented and lived or not—not a good trait for a missionary! Yet God used his ministry to accomplish something remarkable in a pagan city. And still today, the book of Jonah is one that instructs and encourages God’s people.
The story of Jonah is of course familiar. In family Bible readings, every child soon meets this recalcitrant prophet who gets ingested by a great fish. But apart from the well-known features of this story, do we really ponder Jonah the missionary? In this way, the book of Jonah is like a mirror. What do Jonah’s disturbing failures reveal about our own tendencies in the prophetic task, including our attitude towards non-believers, toward the urgency of sharing the gospel, and the work of mission itself?
In this book, Rev William Boekestein explores the story of Jonah in order to draw out a Christ-centred and challenging message for the church today. In ‘Stubborn Prophet, Faithful God,’ he combines careful exegesis and practical application throughout. It soon becomes clear that Jonah is a complex character, and one who is uncomfortably relatable. And while Jonah did not have an expressly ‘gospel’ message to bring to Nineveh, Boekestein contends that this story teaches us important truths about mission today, together with many other valuable insights into the Christian life. Through Jonah, we learn to see the pattern of our stubborn hearts and the blessing of God’s faithful love for the lost.
The author is the pastor of Immanuel Fellowship Church (URCNA) in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He has written several books. Can I mention that he has authored some beautifully illustrated volumes of church history for children and young people? They are ‘The Quest for Comfort’ (telling the story behind the writing of the Heidelberg Catechism), ‘The Glory of Grace’ (the story of the Canons of Dort), as well as ‘Faithfulness Under Fire’ (the inspiring life of Guido de Brès). While ‘Stubborn Prophet’ isn’t illustrated like some of Boekestein’s other books, it is colourfully written and engaging in style—a real pleasure to read.
Besides offering a basic commentary on Jonah 1-4, Boekestein includes three helpful chapters on ethical questions that arise in Jonah: How Can I Know God’s Will? Is Fasting Finished? Why Should I Care about Animals? At the end of the book is a series of study questions for each chapter, which makes the book well suited for group discussion. Gladly recommended!

William Boekestein
Evangelical Press (2022)
192 pages

Available for purchase online and at the Pro Ecclesia bookshop in Armadale WA

Rev Reuben Bredenhof
FRC Mount Nasura

The philosopher Socrates once said: ‘An unexamined life is not worth living.’ He was a Greek philosopher who lived in the fifth century before Christ, and his worldview was not Christian in any way. However, there is a great deal of truth that we can take for our lives today. It is easy for us to move through life as if we are on autopilot. We drift from moment to moment, going through the motions of each day without paying much attention to what is happening or how we are responding. Events happen and we tend to be caught up in the current of change that they bring. As life continues to flow around us, we move forward without much thought to what exactly is happening.
This can be especially true for our lives spiritually. We coast along, doing what we think is the right thing, maybe becoming involved in certain church committees or other activities because it is good to do, or because it is expected of us. We are motivated to do what God commands of us but often don’t think all that deeply about what is really going on in our hearts. Our lives bear evidence of God in the bigger details but when we look to where we are in the small, insignificant details, there isn’t all that much evidence of who rules our lives.

A big part of biblical counselling is looking at the details of our lives in the light of Scripture. Not just the big or important moments but the little, every day, seemingly insignificant ones. What does our behaviour in those moments say about who our God is? What are we believing about God and about ourselves that leads us to respond in such a way? Who is God and how is he working in the mundane parts of your life? This is something that is helpful for every one of us, not only those who are hurting. We are all called to examine our lives and hold them in the light of scripture.
In 2 Peter 1:10 we are told to be “all the more diligent to confirm our calling and election.” As Reformed believers, we believe that God has chosen us and that is not based on anything that we do. At the same time, we are called to actively be sure of our calling. This is not something that can happen if we are on autopilot.
As we look to the wider passage, Peter reminds us of that great and wonderful calling that we have been chosen into: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (vv. 3-4)
Our election is not merely an election to eternal life. It is an election and a calling to continually grow in Christlikeness. A calling to fellowship and communion with the triune God that does not happen if we are drifting through our lives. Peter continues: “For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” (vv. 5-7)
Here Peter is giving us very specific qualities, tangible things for us to be busy with—qualities that we can take the time to examine in ourselves and see where we might be drifting, or where we might be caught up in the current of the world around us. Below is a list of questions that fit into those different points, designed to help you dig deeper into your own heart and examine what is really going on.
• Are you continuing to make every effort to grow your faith? Are you busy holding on to the promises of God? What are you doing so that you may grow in trust and confidence that he is busy in the details of your life, a faith that extends beyond your salvation and eternal life? Do you trust that everything that is happening to you and those around you is for your good (Romans 8:28)?

• Are you constantly growing in knowledge of who your God is and what he has done? What other knowledge are you consuming? How are those voices influencing you? Are you swayed by the noise of the world around you? Are their more persuasive voices that you find yourself aligning yourself with? What are you doing to fill yourself with knowledge of the triune God?

• Are you growing in self-control? Do you have an awareness of your emotions and the directions they might be pulling you in? How do you respond when you are commanded/mandated to do something you don’t like (e.g., wear masks, drive a certain speed)? Do you have enough space in your life so that you can engage your emotions with the God of the universe?

• Do you stand firm and steadfast, unswayed by the influences of the world and the circumstances of your life? Are you grounded and secure in the Rock that is your Saviour? Do you whole heartedly sing along with David, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold?” What happens to you as you find yourself facing the storms of life? Do you take refuge in God, or are there things that distract you? In what ways do you find yourself drifting, reaching out for quick comforts, escaping into ideas that only protect you for a moment?

• Are you growing in godliness? What evidence of the fruit of the Spirit is in your life? How is it growing? Does your life bear testimony to the triune God? Not just in the big things but in the small details: how drive your car, your spending habits, the way you respond to a dog barking when you are trying to sleep, how you interact with people in the grocery store, and person you are at 10.30 on a Tuesday morning. These things matter. Do those moments bear fruit as you live to serve God and those around you?

• How do you show brotherly affection? How do you respond and interact with those who have a different opinion than you? Do you interact with people who think differently to you, or are different in some way (e.g., age, life stage, marital status, education)? Do you seek to understand and move toward your brothers and sisters in Christ? What does this look like specifically, right now, as you engage with others who think differently about vaccinations?

• What are you doing to show love to God and to your neighbour? What do some of the behaviours you have reflected on say about the relationship you have with God as you move about you daily moments? What are you doing to make every effort to show love to your family, to your friends, to others in your church and to those in your community? How are you loving your neighbour?
Peter continues, “For if these qualities are yours and increasing, they keep your from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.” (vv. 8-9)
We must not drift. The Holy Spirit is continually at work in us, sanctifying and nurturing us so that we do bear fruit. It is with the power of the Holy Spirit that we can have the humility and insight to reflect on what these questions reveal about our hearts. It is with the power of the Holy Spirit that we continue to hold on to the grace that God has extended us in our election.
“Therefore brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (vv. 10-11)
Let us continue to grow together, encouraging each other just as Peter was encouraging his readers. May we continue to grow, always making every effort to build on our faith and draw into a closer fellowship with the triune God.

Camille de Vos
Trellis Counselling

Truth be Told!

Recently, Apple TV+ begun streaming a new crime investigation series, called
‘Truth be Told.’ The series follows the stories of a journalist and podcaster, as she re-investigates the case of a convicted murderer, who may have been falsely imprisoned, because of her newspaper reporting. In her pursuit of justice, the podcaster encounters new evidence and information that challenges her perception of the truth.

Conflict as a Story

Like the podcaster, we all present our conflict as a story. It is a story of hurt and pain, of brokenness and betrayal. Not only does the story outline what happened and how it happened, it also articulates the reason why it happened. It’s not a nice story, but it is a story we become obsessed with. It consumes our thoughts all day long and we just can’t let it go.

And it’s a story that needs to be told – to a good friend, to a parent and even our elder. And we need to tell this story, as we need comfort, encouragement and understanding from those around us.

Dr Lenski, a mediation expert, (www.tammylenski.com) explains what happens when we tell our story of conflict:

‘As you tell yourself this story over and over, themes emerge. Certain words, actions or events stand out. These themes shape the conclusions you draw, what you do to soothe yourself, and what you do next in the situation or relationship.
The more you tell yourself the story, or narrative, of the conflict, the more you believe it. It begins to feel right as a way to explain the events. It is the truth.
Except it’s not.
It feels like the truth of the matter because repetition of a message increases it persuasiveness…
It’s your truth, yes. It’s your story, yes.
But is not the story of the conflict.’


Reveals the Heart

The manner in which we frame and present our story of conflict all too often reveals our broken and sinful nature. ‘Our hearts are deceitful above all things’ says the prophet Jeremiah (17:9), and conflict is a sure-fire way of revealing the intentions of the heart.

In our conflict stories, we have a way of editing out our shortcomings and weakness that contribute to the situation. We present our narrative in a way that vindicates our right, and righteousness. We carefully erase inconvenience sinful contributions and perpetuate a story of unprovoked injustice in which we, ourselves are exonerated. Yes, this a proven way to get support and advocates for your cause, but it does not remove your responsibility before God for distorting the truth.

Distorts the Truth
Distorting the truth often occurs when we don’t tell the whole story. We don’t always do this intentionally, however sometimes we do! We remove some details out of the narrative, while exaggerating other details or events. Bit by bit, we slowly revise the story until it becomes our version of the events, our story about what really happened. We tell our story, our way, and the more we do so, the more consumed we become!

All too often the change in narrative is to our advantage, in that we present facts that incriminate our brother, while absolving ourselves of any responsibility. Over and over, as we tell our story, we gain perfect clarity as to the sin and guilt of the offending party, all the while being blind to our sin. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord Jesus warns us of our own delusions; ‘Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?’. By distorting our narrative, we are building a compelling case that requires condemnation and judgement of the other party. Sometimes we don’t even realise we have done this. Other times, we don’t care, as we are just hurting so badly.

It seems the more the conflict prolongs, the more often we repeat our story. As we do so, the stronger the case we build against our brother. With growing clarity, our story details the gross sin of the other, all the while calling on those in authority to act. As the narrative evolves, so does our role. As such, we become the judge and jury of the case, to the point we feel obligated to propose disciplinary action. In our conflict story, our truth leads the judgement of the other, while we remain unscathed. Yet, scripture has a warning for that as well. If we are prepared to have the other party harshly and unfairly judged, we can be certain that we will be judged in the same manner (Matt 7:1-5).

Condemns others

Supporting a friend in conflict, also requires a heighten sense of discernment. Standing beside a hurting friend ought not to mean unquestioned agreement with everything one says. Rather, with a measure of sensitivity, a good friend will carefully listen to the conflict story, all the while discerning gaps and inconsistencies in what has been said. This is not to deny or dismiss their hurt, but rather to seek the whole story. ‘Any story sounds true until someone tells the other side and sets the record straight!’ These paraphrase words from Proverbs 18:17 ought to encourage honest recollection of a conflict story that seeks justice and truth for both parties.

Conflict is a story. It is our story. It is our truth. But it’s not the whole story or the whole truth. As with any story, our story of conflict ought to be written with extreme caution. Actually, it needs to be re-written, with love. ‘Speak the truth in love’ says the apostle in Ephesians 4, in the middle of a passage on unity and maturity in the body of Christ. Note carefully, that there is no trade-off here – not truth or love – but truth in love. Pursing truth in love, is not so much about the manner of telling the truth, but rather the foundation of which all truth is based (cf. Eph 4:15). Our story of conflict must be story of faith.

A story of faith

Re-writing our story of conflict as a story of faith, means we must acknowledge that even in the midst of disputes God is busy refining our hearts and minds for our good. Further, when we suffer, we must not give in to our old nature, but be renewed by His Spirit so that we ‘get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice’ (Eph 4:31).
All too often we become consumed by our disputes, so that it clouds our hearts and minds. If we are to guard our hearts, as Proverbs 4:23 says, then we are also to re-focus our thoughts too. This is precisely what the apostle Paul said to two sisters caught up in conflict. Focus on the good gifts of God, the things that are true, pure, and honourable (cf. Phil 4:4-9). As hard as it may be, we should not become consumed with our conflict – rather, refocus on Christ, being ‘kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you’ (Eph. 4:32).

The Truth be Told

Truth be told – we are lousy storytellers. The fact that we do not always get our story right does not remove the reality of the dispute or disagreement. Neither does it diminish the emotional pain that conflict causes.

However, the encouragement is to take time for self-reflection, to ensure that your story of conflict, is told in faith, showing love and respect for the other party in the dispute. It is a caution to keep our emotions in check, to be honest in our narrative, by acknowledging our sinful contributions, both in actions and attitudes. It is an encouragement not to assume to the role of judge, jury, and executioner, rather to provide grace and mercy to the other party, being prepared to forgive, just as in Christ God forgave you.

In the end, being made aware of our sinful inclinations ought to help us to reframe and refocus our conflict story in a way that honours God and shows love to our brother. In this way, justice and peace in our community may be restored and promoted in a way that gives glory to God.

Wayne Pleiter
FRC Byford

When my wife and I have walked through a park together for some time and we need a rest, we usually head for the nearest bench. There we just sit and enjoy each other’s company. There we also use the opportunity to enjoy the wonders of God’s spectacular creation. We listen to the fascinating song of the birds and admire the beautiful flowers and the colourful eucalyptus trees the Lord created. Now that we both belong to the fourscore age group, we can’t walk so far anymore. But that doesn’t matter because there is beauty all around us, even on our own doorstep.

One day while resting on one of these park-benches, we noticed several ants busily running around. These industrious little creatures worked very hard, and it soon became obvious to us that they were working harmoniously together. They did not seem to have a leader and even the unseen queen ant was not really their leader, although she seemed to keep them very busy. And yet without a leader the work seemed to get done, and done well.

Harmoniously working together
We noticed one ant which was trying to move a tiny little piece of bark. Ants are known to be able to lift weights that are many times larger and heavier than their own body weight. It is claimed they can lift items weighing up to 50 times their own weight, or more.

This time, however, the piece of bark was obviously too heavy for one ant. But this particular ant was determined to move it to where he wanted it. But no matter how hard he pulled or pushed, he could not move it more than a few centimetres. However, he didn’t want to give up and continued his struggle.

Miraculously though, without any obvious signals or messages passing around, suddenly several other ants noticed this ant’s predicament and quickly rushed to its assistance. No hassles at all. No questions asked. There was obviously no issue about who was in charge and who was issuing the orders. No, they immediately got stuck into it and helped the other ant carry its load. And by harmoniously working together they got the job done. We found it amazing that animals such as the ants often know better than humans how to work harmoniously together.

Same purpose and direction
What was also remarkable was that once they got stuck into it, they all pulled, tugged and pushed into the same direction. Not one of them argued about the direction they should go. Without any hassle they all worked together. They all had the same purpose in mind and were all focused on getting the job done. All of them had the same focus: the building of the nest and the wellbeing of the queen.

We found this very intriguing and fascinating, and continued watching the activities of these industrious little creatures. Then we noticed that one of the ants had just discovered a piece of cheese that someone had dropped when having his lunch on this same park bench. This ant did not just quickly eat it himself but proceeded to attempt to carry it to the nest. But this also proved too heavy for one ant. Again, there was obvious harmony. There was no question about who saw the piece of cheese first and who was therefore entitled to eat it. No, the queen needed to be cared for and therefore they all realised what their priority ought to be. Unselfishly they worked together to feed the queen ant. And so, they all pulled and shoved, again in the same direction, towards the nest. No argument about entitlements; instead, they worked in perfect harmony. Their priority was not their own selfish interests but the wellbeing of the whole ant colony. None of them proudly announced, for instance, “I carried the biggest piece to the nest”. Pride was simply not an issue.

All the ants, strong ones and weak ones, big ones and small ones, had only one purpose in mind and that was the big picture, the needs and wellbeing of the ant colony. The wellbeing of all the other ants, including the queen ant, was their top priority. Their God given social instinct was to work harmoniously together. That’s how they were created by our magnificent Creator.

As with all social insects like bees and wasps, ant colonies have a queen whose sole task is to lay eggs. She has no time to go out and look for food herself. That’s the task of the other ants and they do that willingly and without grumbling. The queen is not chosen but certain larvae are given a special nutritious diet which transforms them from ordinary working ants to queen ants. The queen’s only task is to lay as many eggs as possible during her short lifetime. And the amazing thing is that all this happens according to the design and purpose of our majestic Creator.

Admiration
May we all recognise and be amazed about the design and beauty that surrounds us, even on our own doorstep, close to home and even in our own garden. Then we may come across something unusual or fascinating which helps us to recognise the ingenuity of our Creator. With the eye of faith, we may see so much beauty all around us. And then to think that we are privileged to serve such a Creator and that we are allowed to communicate with Him. This Creator did not only create things, but He is also intimately involved in maintaining His creation. He also lovingly cares for us His people.
Very importantly, we also need to take note of what our Creator is teaching us with the lesson from the ant colony. Small things like ants are not as boring as we may sometimes think. They also teach us valuable lessons. Those of us who are inclined to be lazy are instructed by the author of the book of Proverbs, “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise” (6:6 NKJV). If there are some among us who let all the other people get involved with, for example, ‘busy bees,’ and prefer to have the day off for themselves, then the Bible teaches us to put our shoulder under the task and labour harmoniously together, working with the same purpose as co-workers in God’s Kingdom.
And what ought to be our purpose? Isn’t it, as always and in all circumstances, the glory and honour of God’s holy Name? If that is indeed our aim in life, all our bickering and fighting for our own rights becomes insignificant, futile and unimportant, and will eventually disappear. Then we all work with the same goal and purpose. Then we all, like the ants, pull in the same direction. Only then God’s Name will be glorified.
Ants not only teach us to work hard but they also show us to live towards the future and to prepare for the future. For the ants, the future will be different than ours. We have a wonderful future to look forward to. And, of course, while we wait, we won’t be idle. We don’t just stop working but remain active in God’s Kingdom as His co-workers until He comes. For “if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thess. 3:10). As Luther said: “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree”. In other words, we are called to be busy and work hard like the ants until the Lord returns.

Not entitlements but responsibilities
What else can we learn from the ants? We said that the ants were obviously not so much concerned about their own entitlements. They never argued about their (perceived) rights but were always busy concentrating on their responsibilities. They did not live for themselves but for others, for the care of the community. Their aim is to give, not to receive. Without realising it they live by the biblical principles of our Lord when He said in Acts 20:35, “It is better to give than to receive”. How wonderful to have such lessons from the ants, even right on our doorstep. We have an awesome Creator, who has made wonderful creatures to His glory. Ants can often be a nuisance but at other times they teach us valuable lessons.

Says Rev. R. Bredenhof in his book ‘Wise’, “The little ant in your backyard, always busy with gathering and building, is a model of industry. Without anyone compelling it, and even without receiving monetary reward, an ant does its work with faithfulness and care. That’s a worthy example, an encouragement to do our daily work with diligence and skill”.
To God, the Creator, be the glory.
Great things He has done!

Leo Schoof
FRC Byford