Since my son Dave is flying to Colorado on Christmas day, and since that won't give him much time to enjoy any kind of gift giving here at home, we decided this year our exchange would happen this past Saturday. That means Friday was our "Christmas eve", and since I like to spoil my wife on holidays we ordered in some Chinese food. At the end of the meal, we of course ate our fortune cookies and I got a beauty of a fortune. Here is what it said:

Pray for what you want, but work for the things you need.

Whenever I think of Prayer and Work in the same sentence, I am reminded of a certain baptist family who used to study with me. They were forever hung up on this idea of work, and we spent many evenings going around and around comparing passages that seemed to support (to me) the idea of obedience to God, and passages that seemed to support (to them) the idea that nothing resembling work was required. I had great fun in my immaturity, letting them paint themselves into a corner over and over. I should have been gently, lovingly guiding them to the truth instead of allowing them to look foolish, and keeping their pride stoked to a point where they would never admit they were wrong even to themselves. Nowadays I would fall over myself to help someone better understand the scriptures, and I hope that is true for all of us here in Tyngsborough.

But there is an expression that goes along with the fortune from my cookie: "The Lord helps those that help themselves". I personally think this is very true. All the people we read about who were justified in their obedience, works not of themselves but guided by God. They didn't just sit around, they acted! So let us pray for one another, surely, and at the same time if we want a closer walk with God then we should walk closer to each other, yes? I know a great way to do just that!

Randy