YouVersion Reformation Reading Plan, day 281

I Timothy 5 §

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

I Timothy 5:8

I look ahead in my life and I wonder how I will handle my parents’ and in-laws’ needs as they advance in years. When is it acceptable, pleasing, or wise to consider “managed care,” “retirement communities,” or “nursing homes”? The specter of spending all day every day caring for them is exhausting, even only in imagination. How do we, the church, handle this, especially with parents who are not believers?

I Timothy 6:1-2 §

Verse 2 is why I will still call them, “sir”.

Ecclesiastes 8 §

Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.

Ecclesiastes 8:11

This reminds me of II Peter 3:9 — regard the patience of the LORD as salvation — except that it shows us the reverse. Even when God is patient, our natural inclination is not to use that time, that mercy, for repentance. No, we fools say in our hearts, “There is no God” (Psalm 14:1). When God does not punish our evil immediately, we grow bold in disobedience and mock His authority. LORD, forgive us.

Ecclesiastes 9 §

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.

Ecclesiastes 9:11

Remember in our “meritocratic” society that what happens to you is not primarily a result of your own qualities but of time and chance — in the providence of the LORD. What will you do with this opportunity He affords you?

Ecclesiastes 10 §

…

Ecclesiastes 11 §

He who observes the wind will not sow,
and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

Ecclesiastes 11:4

I wonder if this applies to our evangelism: if we are constantly waiting for the perfect opportunity, we will never get it. Better to scatter seed widely, and harvest when the grain is ripe, than to hide our faith and simply observe — under the guise of friendship — our neighbor on their way to hell. Will some of the seed be blown away, and some of the harvest mold in the rain? Yes. But at least there will be some harvest, rather than none. We do not know which will prosper (verse 6), so we sow and gather whenever possible. I need to work on this.

Ecclesiastes 12 §

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecclesiastes 12:13