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November 1st

The bible reading today is in Matthew 20 and 21.

Jesus is still on his way to Jerusalem. And he is teaching his disciples another very important lesson on the kingdom of heaven and what the grace of God looks like.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭20:1-2‬ ‭

So often when we think of our salvation in Christ we only think of heaven in the sweet by and by. Heaven is true. Heaven is worth thinking on as we travel through this life for certain. But there is something just as important to connect our salvation to....the work of God that he invites us to join Him in for now.

Some are saved by grace and called to work with God in his vineyard when they are young...when the sun is just breaking forth into day. They have their whole lives to work with Jesus in the vineyard of the world.

Oh, what a choice privilege it is to be allowed to begin such holy service with God so early in the morning of life. Young Samuel comes to mind. These early laborers agreed with the Master and submitted humbly and gratefully to the work and to the wage.

Young believers in Jesus have a blessed prospect...happy...to do God’s work, in a good place, for a good master, and on good terms. Awesome...let us remind our own youthful followers of Christ of their blessed prospect too.

“And going out about the third hour the Master saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them, he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭20:3-4‬ ‭

These laborers agreed with the Master too...but with only three-quarters of a day to work. These are the saved persons whose childhood is past, but they are not yet old.

The Master has favored them with the better part of the day of their life to engage in holy service with and to God their savior. What a privilege to have God call young adults into his kingdom of God works.

Oh, young adults, don't be swayed by dollar bills and corporate ladders and alluring perks. The Master of heaven is calling you into His work...and there are no better perks.

“Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour, he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too."

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭20:5-7‬ ‭

God, in the greatness of his love, calls into his salvation fellowship and servicemen and women whose useful vigor has all but departed. The Master accepts the waning hours of their day of life. He has work for the weak as well as for the strong. He allows none to work for him without the reward of grace...even though they have spent most of their lives in sin.

And then he comes to call kingdom workers at the eleventh hour...the generous Master of the house is willing to take on more workmen...though the sun was going down on their lives...and all of their days past had been spent selfishly and far from the Master.

70 years of age...why are any of us still holding out for retirement bliss? Especially when we are given the invitation to work the greatest works of our lives...with Christ the Savior...even if it’s just for our last hour.

Have a great day