Get while the gettin's good!

3:27 p.m. Today's project was to spend a nice day at home, run an errand or two, and enjoy God's great gifts: the Bible, marriage, children, rain and sunshine, and harvesting produce out of the earth. Add a crockpot full of spaghetti sauce made with home grown-and-canned tomatoes, and it just doesn't get any better! (This side of heaven, anyway!)

Picking vegetables had a bit more urgency than usual because I had to hop out there in between cloudbursts in the early afternoon. Our son Steven was due in from Fresno later, and would be devouring every head of broccoli I could gather, due to his diet for a bodybuilding competition coming up Saturday. I also gleaned two little--but ripe--strawberries and lots of curly leaf spinach. Much of the latter will go into a salad for a friend's birthday at Bible study tomorrow night. I forgot to mention fellowship--that's another ingredient of a joyful Christian life! I quickly sidestepped the excited dogs and gathered in my produce.

Jesus spoke of the urgency of His earthly work in John 9:4: "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no man can work." And the night is coming in case you haven't noticed increased disdain and disgust toward Christians! A judge recently had the temerity to deem the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional, as if our entire system of government were not founded on God's Word!! He is quoted as saying that he won't halt any observances until all appeals have been exhausted. That's big of him, isn't it?

AS IF ONE JUDGE COULD STOP GOD'S PEOPLE FROM GATHERING TO PRAY!!!

As I just told my daughter, if government buildings cannot be used for the National Day of Prayer, let believing public officials lead prayer in the streets! May our churches be full to overflowing morning, noon and night, bursting with praise, homage to our God and petitions for our land! May we imitate our Lord Jesus Christ in prayer,

...who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though he was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. (Hebrews 5:7-8)

Not only must we be obedient and prayerful in our own lives, but we must reach others for Christ in these last days. In John 4:35, Jesus refers to those in need of the gospel: "Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already ripe for harvest!"

Who in your life is ready to be born again? What will you do about it? Hear II Corinthians 6:2b:

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."