Why Proverbs Says: “Go to the Ant”

“Ants are a remarkable species. They are highly organized, hard-working, and can survive almost anywhere…At sunrise, the ant colony stirs to life. The ants emerge from their underground homes and immediately start searching for food…Once evening comes, the ants return home. They will be in a dormant state until the following day when the cycle begins again!” ~ A Look at an Ant's Daily Life

When most of us think of ants, we think of pesky little bugs to step on. But God created ants to display some qualities he’d like to see in human beings. Two times in Proverbs, ants are mentioned in a positive light.
 

Proverbs 6:6-8: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.”
 

Proverbs 30:25: “Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.”
 

God hates laziness, and Proverbs is full of condemnation for sluggards. In addition Paul gave this rule to the Christians at Thessalonica: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

It's easy for Christians to slip into the societal sin of entitlement, thinking we deserve things we can't afford and acting like victims if we don't get them.

We need to remember and maybe even memorize Christ's words below.

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Luke 12:15: Then he [Jesus] said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

15 Benefits of Being Thankful

Any way you slice it, gratefulness is good for us.

Secular studies show that grateful people:

1. Make friends more easily and have better relationships.
  
2. Have better physical health.
  
3. Have better psychological health. 
  
4. Are more compassionate and generous.
  
5. Are less resentful, jealous, and aggressive.
  
6. More easily overcome trauma and loss.
  
7. Are less stressed and sleep better.

8. Have better immune systems and healthier hearts.
  
9. Do better in their careers and are better team players.
  
10. Are less materialistic. 

11. Are more optimistic.
  
12. Are less self-centered.
  
13. Have higher energy levels and are more productive.
  
14. Feel more joyful and content.
  
15. Are more relaxed.

No wonder God says:

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done." Philippians 4:6 

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

Why not check out this link, which shows you each time “thanks” or “thanksgiving” is mentioned in the New Testament: Thanks Key Word.  

 
Resources for this devotion:
Forbes, Happier Human,

I also encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life Devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word: Wisdom for Life. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. 

 

And if you aren't a subscriber, sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes HERE.

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Why Does He Love Us?

“I don’t need to struggle for His love,” the young woman said, tears streaming down her face.

I was living in Budapest, Hungary, and I'd just given a seminar to a group of Hungarian women. Starting in Genesis and going through Revelation, I'd explained mankind's repeated rebellion and God's repeated forgiveness.

 

When I finished, this woman began weeping because she realized for the first time in her life that God was eager to forgive her.

Another woman looked at me with wonder and asked, “Why does He love us?” 

 

I told her there's no human explanation for God's unexplainable, perfect, and “unreasonable” love. God offers it “while we [are] still sinners” (Romans 5:8), and He “does not treat us as our sins deserve” (Psalm 103:10). 

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"  1 John 3:1      

These women's questions reminded me to never take God's love for granted, as John 15:10-11 explains:

“If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”  

Let's never take God's love for granted!

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See God Hugs and God's Love Is Better Than Unconditional.  

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Why Scripture Doesn't Describe God's Love as Unconditional

God's love is so much better than “unconditional.”

The description “unconditional love”:

➤ Isn't found in Scripture

It's not equivalent to agape or any Greek or Hebrew description of God's love in Bible manuscripts. It's not found in any legitimate Bible translation.

➤ Contradicts Scripture

God's love involves holy wrath based on His conditions of right and wrong (Romans 1:18-20). Christ's sacrifice fulfilled a necessary condition for our salvation (2 Corinthians 5:21). John 3:16 contains a life and death condition. God's blessings and rewards for believers have conditions (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). 

➤ Is an oxymoron*

Unconditional love isn't love. Godly love has conditions: values, expectations, absolutes, blessings, etc.

➤ Leads to heresy

For example, Universal Salvation, Antinomianism, He Gets Us, Wilderness Wanderers, etc.

➤ Has an unhealthy hold on people

Even when Christians are confronted with the Scriptures refuting it, many refuse to give up this easily misunderstood human description. 

No wonder our world has created a Jesus who's soft on sin.

Dear Christians, let's start describing God's perfect, glorious, sacrificial, forgiving, undeserved love correctly. And let's avoid this human description that misrepresents the gospel. 

In my book Lies in Disguise, Half-Truths Many Christians Believe, I have a chapter addressing the error of unconditional love. I believe God has laid it on my heart to warn Christians of this and other lies that are damaging their faith. And I know that some will listen.  

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* For example, if a couple marries and agrees to have multiple affairs, that's not love. If a parent says they love their children but never punishes them so they can learn right from wrong, that's not love. If a person says they love God, but never intends to obey His commands, that's not love (John 14:15). Conditions are a good thing! Genuine human love is fair, faithful, honest, and moral. God's love fulfills the conditions of justice, holiness, perfection, etc. 

You can find thousands of articles on the internet using the term “unconditional love.” Most of them are unintentionally repeating this popular error and equating it to biblical truths. But it highlights a huge problem in the modern church when godly preachers are adopting words without fully checking them out. 

Here are some videos and articles that refute the belief that God's love is unconditional:

4-minute video: Is the Love of God Unconditional?: Ultimately with R.C. Sproul

14-minute video: Does God Love Us Unconditionally? John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul

Good News! God Does not Love You Unconditionally

Is God’s Love Unconditional or Unconditioned?

Leadership Ministries: Untwisting Unconditional Love

An interesting look at mixing secular psychology with Christianity: Is God's Love Unconditional?

Spiritual Myth – God Loves You Unconditionally

Specifically on unconditional forgiveness: God's Forgiveness, Like His Love, Is Better than Unconditional

Randy Alcorn: God's Contraconditional Love

God's Love: Better than Unconditional

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When Something You've Believed for Years Is Challenged

Suppose someone explained to you that a popular description used by the majority of Christians was misleading. They gave you proof that such a description was not found in Scripture. They showed you that a Greek word used to support this description was not correctly translated.

Suppose they told you that there’s substantial evidence to believe that this description was introduced into culture by an atheist psychologist and wasn't used by Christians until the 1960s. Suppose they showed you how the description led to serious misunderstandings for both believers and unbelievers.

But suppose this description had always been part of your Christian vocabulary. Your parents used it. The person who led you to the Lord used it. Your pastor and Bible study leader use it. And you'd never heard anyone refute it. 

When you googled it, you found that some Bible teachers refuted it, but hundreds of Christian sites used the description.

Studies show that very few people will give up a long-held belief, no matter how much evidence proves it's wrong (National Library of Medicine).

Do you know what description I’m talking about? If you’re a long-time Bible Love Notes reader, you might remember previous devotions about it. 

But this is my question today: Are you a noble Berean-type Christian whose goal is correctly handling God’s Word, or are you someone who calls Berean Christians “picky and legalistic”?

 

I'll share the description tomorrow. But please take time to prayerfully and carefully read through the passages below.

 

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This highly popular and passionately defended description is one that I cover in my book Lies in Disguise. In my book, it is concisely presented so you can not only understand it yourself, but you can also explain it to others. And just as you find in my Bible Love Notes devotions, my book is filled with Scripture references—the true basis for any and all beliefs we hold as Christians. Find out more about Lies in Disguise HERE. And please take time to read through the Scriptures below before tomorrow's devotion.

Acts 17:11-12:  “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.”

2 Timothy 2:15: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

 

2 Timothy 4:3-4: “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”

1 Timothy 6:20-21: “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith. Grace be with you all.”

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Christians, Make Sure You Understand Muslim Beliefs Accurately

I encourage you to listen to the YouTube devotion because I share some additional facts. And please give the video a “thumbs up” so it will go out to more Christians! Thanks!

Why do feminists, gays, and liberals defend Hamas when Hamas rapes and sexually mutilates women (source) and tortures and kills gays (source)? 

The only explanation is 2 Corinthians 4:4. 

There are peaceful Muslims, and the Quran has some decent commands. But the Quran clearly promotes and affirms violence, especially against Christians and Jews (source). 

Muslim terrorists aren't violating Islamic principles. They're fully embracing them. Islamic countries also have inhumane laws and practices (e.g., Sharia law in Saudi Arabia). 

✔ Violence is promoted in the Quran. 

The Quran “is replete with explicit and implicit sanction and promotion of armed conflict, violence, and bloodshed by Muslims” against non-Muslims (source). It also allows husbands to beat their wives - Q 4:34 Hilali-Khan (source).

✔ Violence is promoted in other Islamic writings called hadith literature (source).

✔ Violence is a dominant aspect of Muslim history, past to present. (+See the facts below.) 

 

✔ Terrorist violence was part of the lifestyle and teachings of Islam's revered prophet, Muhammad, who claimed to receive divine messages. See List of Killings Ordered or Supported by Muhammad.

The murder and destruction of 9/11 were not unusual events for Muslims. See Remembering the Spirit Behind 9/11.

Ministries helping the persecuted church around the globe report that the worst persecution comes from Muslims. (*See the facts below.) 

Peaceful Muslims don't obey the Quran's violent commands, but their silence and their claims that Islam is peaceful hide the truth. Let’s pray for both violent and peaceful Muslims “that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25-26).

And let's pray that our world will quit defending Islam and turn to Christ. 

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No genuine Christian can read the info below and defend Islam. 

+ Muslim Jihad is not an ancient concept. Note these modern stats: “Between 1979 and April 2024, we recorded 66,872 Islamist attacks worldwide. These attacks caused the deaths of at least 249,941 people.” (See Foundation for Political Innovation.)

Regarding Muslim claims that the God of the Bible promoted genocide, see Were Old Testament Wars the Same as Muslim Jihad? 

Regarding the Muslim claim that Jesus was only a prophet, see Why Muslims Can't Believe Jesus Was a Prophet. 

Regarding Muslim false claims about the Crusades, see Half-Truths About the Crusades. 

* Open Doors works with the persecuted Christian church around the world, and they have a list showing the countries with the worst persecution. I've listed the first ten below. Please note in each country who is responsible for the killing, torturing, raping, decapitating, burning to death, and illegal confiscation of property of your Christian brothers and sisters around the world.

Top ten countries that have the worst persecution of Christians, noting who is responsible in each country:

The link on each country name leads to explanations of the type of persecution and how you can pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ. If someone claims Islam is good or peaceful, I hope you will speak up for your suffering brothers and sisters in Christ. 

1 - North Korea - Communist and post-communist oppression    
2 - Somalia - Islamic oppression    
3 - Yemen - Islamic oppression    
4 - Libya - Islamic oppression           
5 - Sudan - Islamic oppression    
6 - Eritrea - Dictatorial paranoia (a Muslim country)   
7 - Nigeria - Islamic oppression - a helpful video: Christian Persecution in Nigeria.

8 - Pakistan - Islamic oppression    
9 - Iran - Islamic oppression    

10 - Afghanistan - Islamic oppression 

   

Muslims are responsible for 80% of the persecution in the top ten worst-persecuted countries. This is absolute proof that Islam is inspired by Satan to be an enemy of Christ and His people.  

I believe Zohran Mamdani revealed the character of Islam when he talked about 9/11 and shed tears because, after the Muslim extremists' murderous attack on the Twin Towers, he said his aunt got negative looks on the subway when she wore her hijab (source).

He didn't mention the 2,976 people murdered and the thousands injured by the cruel, merciless, satanic attack of Muslims who were following the commands of Mamdani's holy book and Mamdani's revered prophet, Muhammad. 

A dirty look given to a Muslim was worth mentioning, but not the brutal and horrifying Muslim murder of men, women, and children in the Twin Towers and in the jets forced to crash into them. Pray for New York City. 

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Don't Go on Fear-Finding Missions

Moses did as the Lord commanded and sent out twelve leaders to explore the Promised Land (Numbers 13). 

He asked the leaders to report on the strength and number of the people, the quality of the land, soil, crops, and trees. And he asked them to find out how well the towns were protected.

This was a fact-finding mission—not a fault-finding or fear-finding mission.

They called it the "Promised Land" because God had promised to give it to His people. It was a foreshadowing of our heavenly home.

But the faithless, fearful majority ruled. They exaggerated their fears, claiming, "We are like grasshoppers!"(1)

Crying and complaining ensued, and they never entered the land.

It's easy to go along with the faithless majority, and many Christians are doing that today, accepting watered-down truths because of cultural pressure. But it will cost them huge blessings.

Is there an area of your life where you've let fear and fault-finding keep you from God's promises? Ask God to teach you the beauty of trusting Him above all others.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

    do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do,

    and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:5-6

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(1) See Grasshopper Faith and We Need It: Trust.

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How to Avoid Self-Pity When Struggling

There have been times in my life when I’ve really needed to share my struggles, and God has blessed me with Christian friends who’ve listened, asked questions, and prayed. See Faith Revealed in Listening.

 

There have also been times when I’ve shared my struggles with a Christian friend, and they’ve not really listened, or they've started talking about their own struggles and ignoring mine.

 
Recently, I was convicted of doing this myself. I’m going through some real struggles in my life at this time, dealing with the recovery from my hip replacement, unexpected house repairs, sad choices of several loved ones, and serious concerns for the attitudes of many Christians who are letting themselves be shaped by culture, not Scripture.

Twice in the last few weeks, friends have shared their struggles with me, and I’ve had to apologize afterwards because I've not been a good listener and I've blabbed too much about my own challenges. I am reminding myself of these two things:

 
1. Part of Christian fellowship is rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourning with those who mourn (Romans 12:15). We shouldn't focus on our challenges when others need our encouragement. See Romans 12:15 – Rejoice and Mourn.

2. One way to pull ourselves out of self-pity is to quit focusing on ourselves and look for ways we can help and encourage others (1 Thessalonians 5:11). See 3 Ways to Comfort Friends Who Are Hurting.

If you're struggling, make sure you don't let your suffering blind you to opportunities to encourage others.

 

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Christmas Gift Idea: 

💙 Please check out the Bible Love Notes devotional, Wisdom for Life. It features one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs and is on sale at reduced prices on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.  

And you can sign up for a free email subscription to Bible Love Notes online devotions HERE. 

 

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2 Principles to Follow when Discussing Scripture

Scripture tells us “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

Sometimes sharing Christ or discussing Scripture goes smoothly. God's Spirit gives us the right things to say, we do our best, and the person acknowledges the truth.

Sometimes it goes badly. God's Spirit gives us the right things to say, we do our best, and the person gets angry, rejecting us and our message.

If we are faithful to the two principles below, we can be confident that we've done our best even if our message is rejected:

1. We refuse to act rudely.

We refrain from anger (James 1:19-20) and avoid contentious, foolish, and repetitive debates (2 Timothy 2:14, 2 Timothy 2:23, Titus 3:10).

2. We share God's Word accurately.

We stand firm, refusing to sugarcoat the hard truths but balancing them accurately. For example, when we share God's condemnation of specific sins, we also share the wonderful good news that repentance leads to Christ's forgiveness and redemption.  

To stand firm on God's truth, 2 Timothy 2:14-15 explains we must know what it teaches and correctly “handle” it.

Each time we share Christ or discuss Scripture is unique. We should ask for the Lord's guidance, approach others graciously, and speak truth without compromise.

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For more on this subject, see Kindness, Not Sarcasm and An Authority We Can Trust.

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We Must Maintain the Fire

by Marika Marton

It is so easy to stop doing something we once started as a discipline. It takes no effort at all to drift away—slowly, almost unconsciously—from the things we know we should be doing. 

That is why we must continually “feed the fire” and keep it burning deliberately and consistently. 

For example, someone begins a diet and stays away from certain foods. He keeps it for months, but then life circumstances change—and with them, his discipline weakens. Little by little, he slips back into his old eating habits. 

 

It was far easier for him to slide back than to stay strong.

The same is true in our spiritual lives. If we don’t “maintain the fire” of our love for God through steady habits—reading the Bible (Matthew 4:4), praying (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and fellowshipping regularly with other believers (Hebrews 10:25)—our hearts can grow cold, and we can easily drift away. 

Sometimes we don’t even notice it because it happens gradually. Or we may not want to admit it. But honesty is the first step toward restoration.

So let’s examine our priorities today. Let’s look at our daily lives and make sure that our “fire is still burning”! And if we’ve failed, let’s repent and return to our first love (Revelation 2:4–5), give careful attention to what God’s Word says (Hebrews 2:1), make a firm decision to be disciplined again—and pray.

Take action today! Begin to “feed your fire” once more by obeying God’s Word! 

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Devotions you might enjoy:

Being Careful Not to Drift Away—Hebrews 2:1

4 Things Productive Christians Do

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