"THE HARVEST IS PAST, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." These words of Jeremiah, penned so long ago, apply to us living now.

It is possible to become weary as the days stretch into weeks, months and years and still our Lord remains away. Surely "now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."

We must always be on our guard that we do not lapse into the foolish thinking of those Peter tells us will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation."

In the last few years we have witnessed so many startling developments it seems unbelievable that such thoughts should drift into our minds. We have seen the establishment of the state of Israel and the increase of knowledge to the point where men can orbit the earth in a matter of minutes and yet for most of us "all things continue as they were." Our lives fall into a routine that soon becomes a rut and the startling headlines become commonplace to us as we go about our daily tasks.

Our lives should be filled with eager anticipation, anxiously awaiting the coming of the Lord. We should be looking for the Lord from day to day and season to season so that we can say almost with surprise, "The summer is ended and we are not saved!" This is the attitude we should have, but do we? Those in Jeremiah's day were far too busy with their routines, too deeply entrenched in their ruts to heed the prophet's warning. Is history repeating itself? Are we really as anxious for the Lord's return as we should be? Perhaps we would just as soon have him wait until we finish college or get married. Would it be inconvenient for Christ to come now because we are busy building a new home or getting a business started? Have we been lulled into an apathetic state of mind due to television, sports and vacations?

God told Haggai to warn those of his day that they should consider their ways because they were busy living in their own cieled (paneled) houses and had neglected the house of the Lord.

The harvest is past, but what did we sow? The summer is ended, but how did we spend it? The fall is upon us, what are we doing? Let us consider our ways. Are we busy building the Lord's house or our own? Is our time taken up in His work or ours? Jesus warned us that we should not concern ourselves with thoughts as to "What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?" And then Jesus tells us why we should not concern ourselves with these things for he says, "For after all these things do the Gentiles seek." We know that he was right. These are the things that concern those around us and it takes up all their time, but we must be different. Therefore Jesus admonishes us to "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

If only we will be wise and seek first the kingdom of God, then we need not be concerned that the summer is ended, and we are not saved, because we soon shall be.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."