Happy Labor Day! 
Joe Slater
	At this time each year, our society sets aside one day to honor our working men and women. As a holiday, Labor Day has no religious significance; but the Bible has plenty to say about work. We take this as a convenient time to uphold the Biblical work ethic and to present four Scriptural reasons why God wants people to work:
	Feed Ourselves. Psalm 128:2 says, “When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.” God never intended for people to have everything handed to them on silver platters. Even in the paradise garden of Eden, God gave Adam work to do (Genesis 2:15). The same Bible that commands us to have compassion upon the needy also says: “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat”      (2 Thessalonians 3:10).
	Have Something to Give. Jesus said we will always have the poor with us (Matthew 26:11). Circumstances make it impossible for certain ones to work, while others may be unable to meet their own needs even when working. God has always been compassionate upon the poor, and so must His children be. “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need” (Ephesians 4:28).
	Gain Wealth. “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But he who gathers by labor will increase” (Proverbs 13:11). Contrary to popular belief, the Bible does not condemn the attaining of material wealth. The danger comes in acquiring it dishonestly, or using it wastefully or selfishly. When money becomes our god, or when becoming rich is our primary goal, then we are in trouble (see 1 Timothy 6:9, 10). Nevertheless, Scripture commends prudent savings and investment (Matthew 25:14ff), including the accumulation of an inheritance for our children (2 Corinthians 12:14).
	Sleep Well. Have you ever noticed how well you sleep after doing hard, physical labor all day? Solomon observed: “The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep” (Ecclesiastes 5:12). This word “abundance” pertains to plenteous food. Admit it – haven’t you “pigged out” (at least once) to the point that you had trouble sleeping? One cure for that is a hard day’s work!
	Work is a good thing. I hope you’re doing something you  enjoy (I am)! Have a great Labor Day!
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We Have the Bible
	The rich man in torment wanted his brothers to see Lazarus return from the dead so they would believe. Abraham said if they do not believe Moses and the prophets, then will not believe even if one is raised from the dead.
	Jesus was raised from the dead. Those who did not want to believe still did not.
	People who do not believe the Bible still would not believe even if they were to see a miracle!
	--Cecil May, Jr (via Preacher Talk)

Unraveled
	A friend recently told me, "I am becoming unraveled thread by thread." She then listed all of the troubles that had come into her life. Her husband left her and married someone else; she developed a life-threatening illness; and her only son died at the age of 25. Then she lost her house to foreclosure. She felt that she had lost everything important in her life.
	We can compare her to Job. He lost everything - his house, his family, his possessions, and finally, his health. The one thing he did not lose was his faith in God. In the midst of all his problems, he said, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust Him" (13:15).  Job had an unfailing faith that God rules in heaven, that He is all-powerful and all-knowing, and that He loves us and cares for us.
	Sometimes we pray and pray that God will save a loved one or help us, and He doesn't. What then? Does God not care for us? Doesn't He hear our prayers? These are the tough times when we feel ourselves coming unraveled.
	When this happens, we have two choices: We can lose our faith and be overcome by bitterness and anger toward God. Or, we can react like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel Chapter 3. When Nebuchadnezzar told them they would be thrown into a fiery furnace, they said, "The God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.  But even if he does not,..we will not serve your gods."  Sometimes, the best thing we can do is say, "Even if He does not," and hold onto our faith in God.  If we lose that, we have no hope. We must know that God will keep us and make us whole again, even if it's not until heaven.
	--Donna Richmond Wittlif (Denver, CO)