The first chapter of Genesis teaches us that God created the world and all that is in it in six days.

On the first day God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. He separated the light from the darkness and called them day and night.

On the second day He made the sky.

On the third day He separated the land from the waters and called them earth and seas. He made grasses, plants, and trees and designed them to produce seed to grow more plants and trees just like themselves.

On the fourth day God created two great lights. The sun is the greater light to rule the day and the moon is the lesser one to rule the night. Because of them we have days, months, and years. He also made all the stars.

On the fifth day God made the birds and fish.

On the sixth day He made all the animals that walk and crawl on the earth, and He designed them to reproduce others like themselves. Because He designed it this way, there is a cycle of life. As the old die, there are more to replace them.

On the sixth day God also created man in his own image, forming him from the dust of the earth. He knew the man would need someone to help him, so He took a rib from the man and made a woman. God told them to multiply and fill the earth with people and to have dominion over all that He had made.

After God completed the creation, He saw that it was very good.

God created the earth to be a home for man, and man is meant to worship and honor Him. He also created man to rule over and take care of his creation.

The Bible includes much more of the history of the world and man through the years, but this is the record of how it all started. God loves man more than we can ever comprehend, and He has made many wonderful things for us to enjoy. Holding a new baby, seeing a beautiful flower, or watching a sunset should cause us to think of God, the Father of all things. He wants you to honor Him with your life. He has power over everything, and He loves you and wants to be your Savior and friend.

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Are you honestly trying to live the teachings of the Bible?

Are you the person that others think you are?

An example from the Bible:

There is an impressive story in the New Testament of a man and his wife: Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). They sold their property, as many others had done, and made a pretense of giving the whole sum to the church. However, they privately agreed to keep back some of it. Ananias and Sapphira brought the money to the church leaders, saying they had sold it for the amount they were giving.

Their dishonesty was immediately judged by God and punished with death. In this account of the early church, hypocrisy (or dishonesty) was severely punished. God looks seriously at such falsehood. We may, like Ananias and Sapphira, give a false impression even though the words that are spoken are not a lie. We tend to forget our accountability before God. He knows our heart and expects complete honesty.

Hypocrisy

A hypocrite pretends to be someone he is not. He may claim to be truthful, but he is not careful when it is to his advantage to stretch the truth. He may talk of the needs of the unfortunate, but he is not generous to give time and money when disaster strikes. Someone may pretend to be genuinely concerned about his neighbors, and yet find it easy to gossip about them. One may pose as an honest person, but still be ready to take someone else’s money as long as he is not caught. He may even try to convince himself that he lives according to higher standards of conduct than most others while being deceitful. In any of these conditions one would be a hypocrite, and dishonest.

The hypocrisy of man has always grieved God. Jesus said, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8).

Bringing the heart and lips together is the challenge for man. Honesty from the core of our being is the key to finding grace and favor with the Lord.

Honesty

A true Christian is an example of honesty. He prospers spiritually in direct relation to his honesty before God. The importance of honesty in relation to our fellowman also deserves careful attention. Both in word and in business dealings we must preserve confidence in one another. In order to do this, we must be willing to make any sacrifice for the sake of truth.

There is a lesson we can learn from the following example:

A teacher asked a certain boy, “Would you tell a lie for three cents?”

“No ma’am,” replied the youngster. “Would you tell a lie for ten cents?” “No ma’am,” said the boy.

“Would you tell a lie for a dollar?” “No ma’am,” was the reply. “Would you lie for a thousand dollars?”

“My,” he said to himself, “what couldn’t I do with a thousand dollars?” While he hesitated, a certain young fellow behind him said, “No ma’am.” “Why not?” the teacher asked. “Because a lie sticks. When the thousand dollars is gone, and all the good things it has bought are gone, the lie is still there just the same.”

Truth is important enough that we should be willing to inconvenience ourselves for it. The loss of our integrity is a high price to pay to save us from embarrassment. Money, honor, and fame gained by dishonesty are poor payments for the defiled conscience and the eternal judgment God places on such sin.

Do you say you are walking in the light of God while at the same time doing evil works such as…

*Not forgiving someone who has wronged you?

*Not making amends when you have wronged someone?

*Exaggerating the truth?

*Breaking a promise?

*Robbing God of tithes and offerings?

Honesty is a test of character. God knows our heart, and there is nothing hidden from Him. However, we sometimes do not relate to God as He knows us and as we really feel inside. We may not portray our honest or true self to the public. As we open our heart and life to God, all these issues can be resolved. The truly happy person is the one who is honest with God and admits who he really is.

Are you honest? God requires it, the world expects it, and we benefit from it. It is the only life that pays.

“Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts” (Psalm 51:6).

“In all things willing to live honestly” (Hebrews 13:18).

“Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:17).

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A person is not necessarily sick, blind, maimed, deaf, deformed, barren, etc., because he or his parents have sinned. At one time the disciples asked Jesus after meeting a blind man: “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? (John 9:2). Jesus replied, “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (v.3). Later, Jesus healed the man. In some cases the barren woman suffers unjustly. She is despised and rejected because of superstitions and cultural stigma. Her condition does not indicate a curse from God, and she need not despair. In this case, as well as in all requests to God, let us always remember that He knows what is best for us.  

God does not intend to punish, but would rather like to refine us through this type of suffering. Actually, we can gain spiritual enrichment through such experiences. Suffering brings out the “real” or inner man and reveals our makeup. Many have found that by accepting difficulties and troubles their hearts have become softened. The humility this brings opens our mind to our dependency on God and His purpose for us. Then we can understand that, through suffering and difficulties, He intends to draw us closer to Him. Joseph was sold as a slave by his own brothers. Rather than being bitter about this, he let God work in him. He filled a great place in God’s plan. Later he told his repentant brothers, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (Genesis 50:20). He was blessed in his submission.

The suffering we experience tends to make us think about ourselves. We may feel alone in our problems and think no one understands. The burdens we have may seem greater than what others have to bear. It is easy to indulge in self-pity and become bitter, but the example of Joseph shows us how God can bless us as we submit to Him.

Rather than despairing, we can allow our suffering to be turned to the glory of God. Once we are resigned to our lot and can humbly say, “Lord, Thy will be done,” God can speak to us. There are many instances where people have thanked God for taking them through the valley of suffering because it has caused them to stop and think. They then realize there is more to life than to fulfill their own desires, pleasures, and pursuits. Many testify that they have found the Lord through suffering. Then, when they must face death, they can joyfully say with Paul, “Death is swallowed up in victory. The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54, 56-57).

Suffering will be the eternal lot of all those who reject Jesus (John 12:48). However, those who are willing to suffer for Jesus in this life will enjoy the rewards of eternity with no suffering at all (Revelation 21:4). By humbling ourselves to accept God’s way for us and repenting of our sins, our robes can be washed white in the blood of the Lamb. Those who are redeemed in this way can obtain the heavenly reward (Revelation 7:13-14).

Suffering would teach us to be more sympathetic to others. We may make little effort to visit or pray for the afflicted, until we have experienced suffering ourselves. “That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Corinthians 1:4).

Jesus, who once lived on this earth in a body like ours, understands us and our sufferings well. He can sympathize with us beyond the capacity of any human being. He knows our pain and our troubled heart. When Jesus witnessed the grief of His friends at the death of Lazarus, He was so touched in His heart that He groaned within Himself and wept (John 11:33-35). He gave Himself to suffering for the eternal salvation of humanity. If He, being the perfect Son of God, accepted this, then we should be willing to also endure affliction. True followers of God willingly accept adversity since they are servants of Him, who is their example. A vision of Jesus, His love, and His sacrifice, causes them to consider, “Why should we be spared suffering?”

Even though we may have to suffer extensively, we can find a rest in accepting what God has allowed to us. God is the Master Planner-with every trial He has promised to provide for our keeping. When the apostle Paul was able to accept his difficulty or handicap, he was able to be a happy and useful person. He prayed three times, asking God to remove the thorn from his flesh, but God answered, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Similarly, as we completely surrender to God and accept our suffering, God’s strength sustains us. When we accept God’s plan for us in suffering, it brings forth an expression of thankfulness that blesses our hearts and witnesses to those around us.

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