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For Better or Worse

01/07/2001

Job was an individual who had it all together. When things were going well and he was the richest and best known individual around, he worshiped and served God.

When he lost his children and his fortune, he tore his robe, shaved his head, and worshiped God. The classic statement, "Naked came I from my mother's womb and naked shall I return", shows that he had a handle on prosperity and adversity. In the words of Kipling, he was able to treat those two imposters the same.

It is rare to see an individual who has the foresight and balance to remain steady in his faith in God, whether good or evil comes their way. Times and fortunes change. The rich become poor the poor become rich. Some who occupies an exalted position have been brought low and vice versa.

To imitate the godliness of Job, learn: whatever the circumstances to be content. When things go well, worship and give thanks. When things go poorly, worship and give thanks.

Douglas L Post.

Works Alone Will Not Save

So far we have discussed "Grace Alone" and "Faith Alone". Today we will discuss the issue of "Works Alone".

It is folly to think you can work your way to heaven. You cannot earn salvation, no matter how often you pray, how much you give, or how righteous you are in your morality. Salvation is not obtained by human merit, nor is heaven attained by religious ritual. You cannot be saved by woks alone.

If you could be saved by good works. then it really would not make any difference what you believed. You could be an atheist or a Muslim. If you could be saved by good works, then Jesus died in vain. There would have been no reason for God to send Jesus into the world or for Jesus' atoning death on the cross if a man could save himself by his righteous deeds.

The strict law keeping of the Pharisees, the benevolence of the generous give, or the kindness of a good neighbor cannot save. One is only saved by the grace of God. Paul emphasized this in his epistles.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of your works, that no one should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9)

You are saved by works, but not by works alone.

Douglas L Post

Footprints

A dad walks through the snow-drift followed by his eight year old son. This dad trudging though the snow is thinking of less-than-model job of parenthood. As a matter of fact, he is known as a rounder to those in his community. He thinks that even though he has some bad habits, his son understands it when told, "Do as I say, not as I do!"

"Yep, my son wont make the same mistakes that I've made because I've told him and taught him better," the father says to himself as he plods his way through the snow. Just as this dad had convinced himself that examples set by a father had no bearing on the future of a son, he looked behind to see if his son was keeping up.

As he looked behind for the short-legged son and barked at him to hurry up, a tear came to his eye and his heart hung heavy in his chest. With bark interrupted, a sight unloaded emotion on the dad like a dump truck. The little eight-year old son was carefully and purposely stepping in each and every footstep left in the snow by his father. The little boy was indeed following in his dad's footsteps.

As adults, let's make sure the footsteps we lay down for the young people in our charge will take them in the right direction- not just in the snow, but in life as well.
(4H/Youth Development Agent in Idaho)