David's Radical Respect

Then David said to the young man who told him, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan
are dead?"...And the young man who told him said, "... He said to me, 'Stand beside me and kill me,
for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.' So I stood beside him and killed him, because
I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the
armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord."

Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. And they
mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the
LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword… David said to him, "How is
it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?" Then David called one of
the young men and said, "Go, execute him." And he struck him down so that he died. And David said
to him, "Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed
the LORD's anointed.'"   - 2 Samuel 1:5-16

While we don’t go around anointing our country leaders in the United States, I feel like this passage still
speaks volumes about how we should regard our leadership. If you go back and read the book of
1 Samuel, you’d see that David doesn’t have a great relationship with Saul. For years, David has been
on the run and in hiding because Saul has been actively trying to murder him.

Any of us in that situation would probably respond with “He’s dead? FINALLY.” But David? Despite the
fact that his life is no longer being threatened, he knows the role of the king. Saul was God’s chosen
leader for Israel for that time period. While David may well have been relieved to not have to flee Saul,
he looked past his own interests and towards the interests of God, who both condemns murder and
raised Saul up to be king.

This mindset is still very applicable today. While our president and other world leaders are not generally
chosen by visions from God or being anointed, God is still sovereign. Nobody gets into leadership by
an accident or oversight from our Lord. While we may not know God’s purposes behind who is in the
office or the actions they take, it doesn’t change the fact that they are our leaders for this piece of
history and God allowed them to be there.

We are not called to applaud everything our leadership does (David certainly didn’t cheer Saul on in
his murder attempts!). We should, however, act in the same respectable manner as David did towards
his nation’s king. He respected Saul’s role, did not harm or slander him, and was angered when
someone acted out in sin towards Saul (even if by request of the king himself)- because, after all,
murder is still murder whether by request or not.

How do you regard your authorities (whether domestic, local, or national)?

How Do You Work Remotely For Christ?

This week I experienced my first-ever “snow day”. My office closed due to snow because we are

located in the South where the states and people aren’t accustomed to handling such weather.

This did not mean a day off, however; we would work from home on our company laptops.

Everyone seems to idolize the idea of working from home and those who do it. The fact of the matter

is, it is a huge and difficult test for those who do. It is a time to see if we can live up to 1 Corinthians

10:31 that says “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”.

Or, alternatively, if we will fall to the temptations that come from having zero accountability

because we lack our boss and coworkers.

It is easy to get distracted when working from home. You see the dishwasher that needs to be

emptied, the laundry that is waiting to be done, and maybe you have an insatiable urge to go walk

through the freshly fallen snow (ok, well, I did anyway). Oh, and on top of all that, suddenly your

social media accounts are all vying for your attention. Keeping your mind and actions focused on

the task at hand is a challenge when you don’t feel like you’re in the “work zone”.

I feel all of this is similar to our lives as Christians, too. Even when Jesus was on earth, his disciples

had a hard time staying focused on Him and building His kingdom. Now that Jesus isn’t physically

with us, we as Christians are left to work remotely for the kingdom and it has become even more

challenging to remain centered on living for Him.

We are surrounded every day by distractions that make us tempted to live for self-gratification rather

than for our Creator. This is why it is important that we have the church and fellowship with other

believers: they are our co-workers in Christ. We need to hold each other accountable for the remote

work that we are doing for God and challenge each other to be working at our full potential to honor

Him in all that we do.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is

faithful. And letus consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not

neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the

more as you see the Day drawing near.”

- Hebrews 10:23-25

Whether spiritually, for an earthly workplace, or both, how’s your remote work going? Are you staying

focused on the mission God has placed before you?

A Tribute to Extra-Biblical Revelation

This week I learned the strange story of the largest known treehouse in the world as I traveled through Tennessee. This enchanting and eerie structure is the result of so-called extra-biblical revelation. 

The architect who built this treehouse says that he did so due to "a vision from God and a promise from Him that he would not run out of wood until the structure was completed". The 97-foot tall treehouse was modeled to be a church inside. The problem? This "revelation from God" did not meet building safety codes and was condemned by the fire marshal. It now stands alone at the end of a dirt road, surrounded by a huge fence and signs that say "danger" "no trespassing" and "do not enter". When I told a friend of mine about it, he chuckled, "What, so God told him to build this thing but didn't know to tell him the building regulations?"

This is one reason we ought not to add to God's word. In the end, our best efforts fail and when we say that "God told me to do it", it leaves Him to take the fall for our wild ideas.

"Every word of God proves true;
    he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add to his words,
    lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar."

- Proverbs 30:5-6

Why I Hate Selfless Love.

I’m going to risk sounding like a bad Christian and start off this week’s devotional by saying this:

Selfless love sucks.

It takes your resources, your time, your energy. It can range from being mildly inconvenient to downright painful. It means we have to be aware of how our words and actions affect others instead of blurting out everything we feel in a moment. It means we should care for others when we’d rather focus on taking care of our own burdens.

It also means we need to be more like Christ - which sounds pretty ideal until we realize how much hardship and rejection He went through. Do we really want to go there? Nowadays, society won’t judge us for focusing our time and energy on ourselves or for simply chasing what makes us feel good. So why bother?

It is now December, and the answer is basically staring us in the face. The lights I keep driving past may just seem like fun and festive decor to most, but to those who believe in Christ, they should also be a reminder. A reminder that the Light of the World didn’t just sit up in Heaven enjoying Himself.

God’s creation had (and still has) turned against Him. If I were Him, I’d be inclined to say “Well, that was stupid. Screw humanity. I’ll just chill up here while they suffer for rebelling against my design.” But, God isn’t made in my image (thanks be to Him for that!). So, instead, Christ exercised selfless love. He confined Himself to a human body. He chose to help society’s hopeless and looked down upon sinners rather than taking on a glorious political position or snubbing everyone like the “good” people did. He was despised, rejected, and even betrayed by those who said they loved Him.

What does He do in return? He takes on the punishment of damnation so that our debt is paid and we can be adopted into His family and have the ability to love Him.

Selfless love sucks.

But, it was given to us by Christ. So let’s pay it forward. And backward. And everywhere in between. Let’s selflessly love Christ by following Him and His Word no matter what. Let’s selflessly love others because that is what Christ did and wants us to do, too. It won’t always be a warm fuzzy feeling, it may mean we’ll get dirty or uncomfortable or worse.

It won’t be like a Hallmark Christmas flick, but it is the best way we can celebrate Christmas both in December and throughout the year.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 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. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.” - John 15:9-17

Help! I've forgotten what I look like!

I have to admit, I am rather ashamed. I started skimming past devotional blog posts I've written, and with each one, I am going, “Dang, I wrote this? How do I so consistently forget the lessons I've learned?” Writing a weekly devotional can be challenging, but it’s nothing compared to following the “practice what you preach” concept.

This verse pretty much sums it up:

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.” - James 1:22-24

It sounds like a slightly absurd thing, to look at yourself in the mirror and then instantly forget your appearance. It is, however, an appropriate comparison. We learn in the Bible and through teachers and pastors who we are in Christ and what that looks like. Then, we get sidetracked going about our lives and forget it all. It is a somewhat frustrating fact of Christian life that we all are likely to experience at some point or another.

Today, let’s pray that God will help us to better remember who we are in Him and be able to live it.

When Good Things Become Bad

There is a song that I enjoy called "Good Things" by M'Kalister Park. This song talks about how good things can become bad things. Ever since I read a particular Bible passage the other day, I've had it running through my head. Why? Because letting a good thing become a bad thing is exactly what the Israelites did.

The Ark of the Covenant was kept in the Holy of Holies, inside of the tabernacle, where the Israelites would go to make sacrifices of worship to God. Inside, one could find several objects that were touched by God and important to Israel's heritage. The Ark was a reminder of God's miracles and provision from the days when He had appointed Moses to lead them out of Egyptian slavery.

The ark was fine and good when viewed as a symbol of God's power and provision. The problem began when Israel began to view the ark as a good luck charm and a source of power. With this false mindset in their heads, they removed it from the place where God had commanded it to be kept. Israel then brought it with them into battle against the Philistines.

What happened next? Rather than the power and blessing they undoubtedly expected, Israel lost the battle. On top of that, the Ark of the Covenant got captured by the Philistine army. God used this time to teach both parties a lesson. To Israel, their defeat and loss of this precious item was a reminder that power and blessings do not reside in things- they come from Him. To the Philistines, God showed His power by knocking over and breaking their idol god, Dagon. Beyond that, the Philistines and anyone who was near the ark began to go crazy and break out with tumors.

You can read the whole story in 1 Samuel 5.

This account reminds us to check ourselves: are we worshipping God? Or are we just thinking of Him or things related to Him as good luck charms? 

The Book of Ruth: Not the Love Story You Thought it Was

I feel like the book of Ruth has been overly romanticized. I always see Ruth held up as a biblical love story to remind girls that "God has a Boaz for you" (which, I must point out, is definitely never promised in scripture). I've heard summaries that go along the lines of "Ruth waited and God provided the right guy for her". Now, yes, that is true, but also take note that Ruth's first husband died. The account of Ruth is far more than some cute little story about a young woman waiting for the right guy.

At the start, Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi, becomes a widow. Shortly thereafter, Naomi's two sons die and that leaves Ruth and her sister-in-law, Orpah as widows also. Naomi plans to return to her people but urges the girls to stay and find new husbands while they're young. Orpah agrees, but Ruth does not want to leave her grieving mother-in-law on her own. Ruth's mind was not on finding a new man to be with, but on being there to support her mother-in-law in the worst time of her life.

When it comes to Ruth meeting Boaz, it was never presented that she fell in love with him, as we might like to think. She does intentionally put herself in his presence, but it is because the custom of the day was for a widowed woman to be "redeemed" by a close relative of her husband. The idea behind this act was not to find new love, but to perpetuate the family name of the deceased husband. Boaz praised Ruth for not going after the younger men, but rather choosing to honor her husband by seeking a redeemer with whom the family line could continue through.

The moral of this story is not that God will provide a man for every girl who waits. The real lesson here is that Ruth chose to make love an action in her life and God blessed her through it. Ruth chose to love and support Naomi in her hardest time rather than seeking a new man to marry. She also chose to love and honor her deceased husband by finding a relative with whom to continue the family line. Did she find a man to love in all of this? It appears so. Was that her primary goal? Not in the least.

Read the story for yourself in Ruth 1-4.

A Biblical Lesson in Modern Art

Last night I was at an art walk. One of the exhibits was a small room with a single window. Inside of this room, the artist had hung fluffy black fabric everywhere. From the walls, the ceiling, creeping in through the door. It obstructed the light coming in through the window and gave the room a very eerie feeling. 

As I stood there taking it all in, it hit me: this is an unfortunately perfect picture of life sometimes. We allow all sorts of things to take over our lives and eventually they choke out our view of Christ and his influence in us. Some things may be perfectly fine, other things may not be. Everything has the potential to obscure our perspective if we aren't continually refocusing and choosing to make God a priority in our thoughts.

Honestly, that is why this blog is a day late this week: I was lacking inspiration because I had been failing to look for it. I let all sorts of little things pile up over the week that took my mind away from seeing God's work and wisdom. You've probably experienced (or possibly are experiencing) something similar. It's easy to let distraction take over. Let's clear our minds and reset our focus this week, shall we?

How can a young man keep his way pure?

    By guarding it according to your word.

10 

With my whole heart I seek you;

    let me not wander from your commandments!

11 

I have stored up your word in my heart,

    that I might not sin against you.

12 

Blessed are you, O Lord;

    teach me your statutes!

13 

With my lips I declare

    all the rules of your mouth.

14 

In the way of your testimonies I delight

    as much as in all riches.

15 

I will meditate on your precepts

    and fix my eyes on your ways.

16 

I will delight in your statutes;

    I will not forget your word.

- Psalm 119:9-16

Are you prepared for the deadline?

I woke up and stared at the number on my dry-erase board. 1. That was the number of days I had until I needed to turn in my class projects. I'm usually not the last-minute sort of person, but this month I've been traveling a lot and didn't have enough time alone to work on everything. Even when I did, I'd been distracted by other things, such as packing, work, and other little duties. Where had the time gone? It felt like this deadline hit me out of nowhere, and I had to rush to catch back up. In the end, I made it. Just barely.

While our earthly deadlines can be a big deal and occasionally a matter of great stress, there is another deadline that matters more: Christ's coming. Emphasis on the "dead" of that deadline- because if we are not prepared for that one, dead is exactly what we will be. The thing about this deadline, however, is that we have no set date for it. As a result, it is "out of sight, out of mind" for many people, even some Christians. 

Paul wrote to the believers in Thessalonica and said, "For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Nobody expects a thief, and likewise, when the Lord comes, it will take even those who are eagerly awaiting Him by surprise. 

You can stress over and run after your earthly deadlines constantly, knowing when they will hit. But are you prepared for the one deadline that has no final submission date? Do you know where you will stand in God's eyes on the last day? And does the reasoning behind your answer match up with what the Bible says?

Showing Christ's Love When You're Not Present

Did you ever realize that you don’t necessarily have to be present to be influencing others and displaying God’s love? Now, don’t get me wrong, this isn’t permission to just avoid people because you can still represent Christ when you’re away. That’s not it at all. But it is to say that if a strong love of Christ exists in your life, the evidence will be there even when you leave.

Currently I am house-sitting for my neighbors. It is one of my favorite things ever. Not just because I get paid to enjoy three cats and a swimming pool, but my times at their house are always full of reminders of God’s love and power. It’s not like they are “in your face” about their faith, but you can just tell from being there that God has a special place in their lives, and it spills over into their home.

Sometimes I walk in the door and they happen to have left the radio on the Christian station and it is playing just the song I needed to hear at the moment. Sometimes I go into the kitchen and see encouraging notes (such as the one pictured above) written on the whiteboard. Sometimes it’s in the books that they have sitting around. These aren’t things they have gone out of their way to do or place- it is just my neighbors living their life.

What do you leave behind as you live your life? Will it remind others of God?

Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. - Titus 2:7-8

Redirection Time

I was trying to wish my friend a "happy Resurrection Sunday" back a couple months ago. Autocorrect had other ideas. I glanced down at my message and read "redirection" in place of resurrection. I quickly fixed it, then sent off the message. Then it struck me: though autocorrect had not selected the word I was intending, the idea was still good. The resurrection is a redirection, or at least it ought to be.

Romans 6:4 says, "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

We are redirected from living for ourselves to living for Him.

When we take communion at church we are told to "Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup." (1 Corinthians 11:28) In doing this, we stop and look at our lives and compare  how our daily living measures up to the standards set forth in scripture. Are we teetering on the edge of a dropoff in our spiritual life? Are we starting to stray from where we know the Lord would like us to be?

In self-examination, we are redirected from the anger, bitterness, and wrong paths we take and positioned to look back at Christ, His sacrifice for us, and His example.

Let's celebrate the redirection of the resurrection, and check our courses too.

We Are Not the Pinnacle of Creation

This week I was faced with an idea that completely changed my perspective on the account of God's creation: mankind is not the pinnacle of it all.

I've continuously read and heard people say how God "saved the best for last" and created humans on day six. We were made in His image and are the crowning glory of His creation. That statement isn't entirely wrong- we are uniquely crafted in His image and were the last visible thing to be created. Day six, however, is not the end. 

I've often read through the creation account, thinking of the grandeur of it all. Everything about the universe, the earth, the continents, the animals, and then us. All of it spoke into being by God. Wow! Oh, and yeah, then on the seventh day God rested. That last part always felt like a bit of an anticlimax to me, a tidbit tacked on at the end of this amazing piece of history. If nothing else, it was good reminder that after a long week at work, I am entitled to a break, too. I always read it as if God's work ended on the evening of the sixth day. It didn't.

The seventh day dawned, and then God finished his work. It was not declared done on the sixth day because He had one last thing to do: He created the seventh day, which He set apart as holy. He was satisfied in His work and rested. The culmination of the entire creation account does not end with us. It ends with God being satisfied in what He has done and resting in nothing but Himself. The pinnacle of creation is not us coming into being, but His rest. 

It makes so much sense. Isn't that what we as Christians are always striving towards? The end when we can finally and fully rest in Him in heaven? It never boils down to us in the end. It always has been Him, and it always will be about Him.

"And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation." - Genesis 1:31-2:1-3

Intoxicated With Success

The photo above is from my little local county fair, specifically the photography department of which I am in charge of. Over the week of the event, I dealt with various frustrations while setting it up. The biggest of these frustrations was the skepticism from our county fair director, who almost always had some criticism for how I was arranging my area each time I encountered her. When all was said and done, however, it all was a huge success. My immediate thought afterwards? "Ha, in your face! I KNEW the little changes I made were improvements!"

A few weeks later, my pastor brought up Zechariah 10:7 - "The Ephraimites will become like warriors, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the LORD." and noted that "it is easy to become intoxicated with our own success" and that we ought to be rejoicing in the Lord for His provision and kindness. After church, my mind wandered back to the county fair. What did I do just a few weeks ago? I reveled in my own accomplishment, forgetting God entirely for the time. Thankfully, I had one of my best friends at my side, who reminded me several times throughout the week that "God is good" and "He is in control."

Looking back on it all, what have I learned?

I have learned two main things:

1.) It matters who your friends are. It truly is important to form close relationships with those who will glorify God and invite you to do the same when your mind isn't on the path to praise Him.

2.) I don't know about you, but I am very susceptible to becoming obsessed with my own success. I focus so hard on what I am doing that I forget what God is doing.

Let's remember who God is, what He can do, and try to keep close company with those who remind us of such truths in our weak moments.

Being Alone

Recently I was house-sitting for my neighbors and enjoying some much needed time on my own to study the Bible and re-charge after having had a friend visit for the prior two weeks. Just out of curiosity, I did a keyword search in the Bible for "alone". I had to admit, I was slightly surprised at my findings.

The American culture in which I live tends to idolize autonomy and encourages the "every man for himself" mentality. The Bible goes in the opposite direction. The very first mention of "alone" states "it is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18). That theme seems to hold true throughout scripture, as the only positive mentions of people being alone are in reference to times when someone is away from people in order to have intimate personal communion with God (see Daniel 10:7-8, Matthew 14:23) or in order to flee from that which God doesn't want, as Jesus did when the people wanted to force him to become their earthly king (John 16:15).

The only other times the word "alone" shows up as a positive thing is when the Bible talks about God. Unlike man, when God is alone, he is glorious, powerful, and doing great works (Isaiah 37:16, Psalm 136:4, Psalm 86:10, Nehemiah 9:6).

What does this mean for us? We ought to be mindful of how we use our time alone. Peace and rest are healthy, but let us remember that even those activities ought to be done in a way that causes us to love, honor, and be thankful towards God, rather than treating ourselves as idols.

Misconceptions about Bible Reading

This week, I am going to give you a somewhat lengthy but impactful quote that I read from Joel R. Beeke. I thought about trying to write a post based upon it, but I honestly can't put it better than he did, and I feel you should read the original:

"If you are an unbeliever, reading your Bible, in itself, will get you no closer to God. Don't think that you can feel a little bit safer on days when you've read your Bible. You can't. And if you are a believer, reading the Bible will not make you any more acceptable or pleasing in God's sight. Not reading your Bible will not make you any less acceptable or pleasing in His sight. The difference between a believer and an unbeliever is Jesus Christ; it's grace, and nothing else.

Until you see that reading your Bible gets you no points with God, you will never be able to enjoy it. Why? Because you will always fail in reading it. You will fail to read it as often as you should; you will fail to read it as carefully as you should; you will fail to understand its meaning; and you will fail to see its wonder. You will fail again and again. So if you are hoping that your Bible-reading performance is earning you points with God, you are going to be one of the most miserable people on earth. You will be constantly losing points and losing heart until you finally give up in despair and quit reading the Bible altogether.

But the good news of the gospel- the good news of this book you're trying to read- is that you don't have to earn God's favor by reading your Bible. Jesus Christ and His righteousness is the only way to God, and unless you are trusting in Him for all your forgiveness and all your acceptability with God, you will never find joy in reading your Bible. So turn to him; trust in him, and come see the joy that can be found in reading the Word of the Lord, the Word of Jesus, the Savior."

- Joel R. Beeke, How Should Teens Read The Bible? 

Productivity: It's Not What You Think.

I was introduced to a challenging thought on Sunday: "your success is not rooted in your productivity..."

Some of my friends might call me a workaholic. If I'm not laboring at one of my two jobs, I am writing and promoting blogs, researching various things, or creating some form of art for either myself or others. If I am not getting something useful done, I often kick myself. So much of my life is focused on productivity. It is what makes me feel successful. 

The above statement follows up with "...Success is rooted in faithfulness to Christ."

It all goes back to the simple truth that our existence is meant entirely for the glory of God. If we are honoring him, living to know him and bring him glory, then by the standards of the Creator of the universe, we are a success. This success, however, is not one that we can just make happen for ourselves. It requires a work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, which will naturally work its way out into our lives and actions.

Success by the world's standards is temporary and will only last until we die. Success in God's eyes is tied to what Christ is doing in us, and will last through eternity.

Where do you find success?

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. - Galatians 6:14

And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go. - Jeremiah 45:5 

Death is Beautiful

As we drove through Yellowstone National Park one fall, I glanced out the car window, exclaiming "Wow! That field is gorgeous!" as I pulled out my camera. "It's dying," my mom replied. Living or dead, it is still one of the prettiest fields I've ever seen. 

That exchange got me to thinking; could our deaths be beautiful, too? I believe they can be, both for us as Christians and even potentially to those around us. Romans 14:8 says, "If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Being someone who has worked in a nursing home for the past several years, I've had occasion to witness what this can look like. A man from a church that I attend was in on hospice care; I heard people in the congregation talk about what a wonderful and godly man he was, and at work I watched as a constant stream of friends and relatives would come to read him scripture and sing to him through his last days. Though he never said a word to me, what I heard and saw of his life and death was an incredible testimony of someone who lived for the Lord. May we live in such a way that the same can be true of us when we come to our end!

Revelation 14:13 - "Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”