Month: September 2026

Recently, the news has been filled with descriptions of the meeting between U.S. President Trump and Chinese President Xi. Because the meeting is between the highest officials of both countries, it is called a “summit.” Issues of concern to both countries are on the agenda, as is the opportunity to further some kind of relationship between the world leaders. While much of the meeting is surrounded with the usual pomp and circumstance befitting heads of state, there is always hope that such a meeting will lead to substantive agreements.

When I thought about such meetings between world leaders, I remembered times I have personally had my own “summits” with such people. I actually met the following political celebrities, though I doubt they considered our meetings as “summits,” nor that they even remember them: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Martti Ahtisaari (President of Finland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate), and Boris Yeltsin.

Of course, meetings between political leaders are not true summits. To have a real summit meeting, you have to go to the real summit – the Creator and Ruler of the universe. True summits require encounters with God himself, because there is no one higher than God. So anyone meeting with him is not a meeting between equals, because he has no equals!

The Bible records several such “summits,” and how they worked out.

1. First, there was the summit between Adam and Eve and God. It started wonderfully, but ended badly. The state dinner began with all kinds of fruit and veggies, and a close relationship between the parties. But when the guests broke protocol and ate the one food forbidden them, things went downhill fast. First, they tried to hide from the host in his garden. Then, they were dressed improperly. Then they tried to blame everyone else, including the host, for their mistakes. What had begun with such promise, ended with exile and a death sentence.

2. Later, Satan had a summit with God (Job 1), in which Satan suggested that if the righteous man Job were to lose all his wealth and blessings, he would curse God. In other words, the only reason Job was loyal to God was because God had blessed him. Satan (whose name fittingly means “accuser”) was sure his plan would work, but in spite of losing wealth, family, and health, Job remained loyal (Job 1:22). God showed who was in charge by allowing the test and limiting what Satan would do to Job (Job 1:12). And restoring what Job had lost.

3. The first patriarch, Abraham, had a summit with God and two of his angels. Genesis 18 tells of this meeting by the oaks of Mamre. The Lord was on his way with the angels to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, but Abraham negotiated with God to spare the cities if a certain number of righteous people were found in them. The negotiations began with fifty righteous and reduced to ten; but because there were not even ten, God destroyed the cities anyway. God controlled the conversation, and the result; he was the ultimate judge, jury, and executioner.

4. An unusual summit was held between Jacob and God near the river Jabbok (Genesis 32:22-32). It was more than a meeting; it was a wrestling match! God appeared to him in human form, called “a man.” This is considered one of the pre-incarnate appearances of Christ. They wrestled all night until the man touched Jacob’s hip and dislocated it. Because Jacob didn’t give up, God changed his name to “Israel,” because he had “striven with God and with men, and have prevailed” (32:28). Just imagine if current leaders settled their differences in the boxing ring or in cage matches? Or in single combat like David and Goliath? There would be fewer wars, and shorter ones.

5. The Book of Daniel has several encounters that could be considered summits in which God demonstrated his power over pagan gods and protection of his people. But a true summit between a pagan king and the King of king is described in Daniel 4. King Nebuchadnezzar surveyed his city from the roof of his palace, and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30) Taking the glory for himself, he was struck insane and crawled around, eating grass like an ox, until he finally admitted it was not his doing, but God’s. When he at last praised God’s dominion, saying all “the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,” (Daniel 4: 35) God restored his mind and fortunes. In other words, he realized there was a God, and it wasn’t him.

6. In 2 Kings 19, we read the story of the Assyrian King Sennacherib defying the true God, saying that God could not deliver Jerusalem from his victorious army. Verse 10 quotes the Assyrian king’s taunt: “Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” God’s answer to Sennacherib concluded with, “Because you have raged against me and your complacency has come into my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came.” The result of the summit was, God struck down all 185,000 men of the Assyrian army in one night, causing the king to flee beck to Nineveh – where he was murdered by his own sons.

7. Another direct encounter between kings was when the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4). The ruler of this world (John 12:31), the devil, came to tempt Jesus when the latter was hungry from fasting. The devil suggested Jesus turn some stones into bread, jump from the temple’s pinnacle to prove he was God, and worship the devil in return for all the kingdoms of the world (I wonder if any of today’s rulers could turn that offer down!) Jesus countered the devil’s temptation by quoting Scripture, preserving his mission to save mankind.

8. Finally, there is a summit to which we are all invited. We are dressed for the occasion, dressed in robes of righteousness given to us by the host. Our state dinner will be filled with good things: “And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow” (Isaiah 25:6). By receiving and believing in him we have the power to become children of God (John 1:12). As his children we can give our burdens to him and receive the inheritance of heaven.

Our summits with God are greater than any earthly meeting between rulers, because our ruler is the King of kings, the only King that matters. By his grace we can come to him, no matter how lowly a sinner we are, or what station we have in life. He welcomes us, with loving arms, having made the way open through the gift of his Son: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Now, that’s one summit I am happy to attend! But in reality, we as Christians already have that opportunity daily, when we read God’s word and call on him in prayer, when we unburden our concerns to Jesus and walk in his ways.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Job 1; 2 Kings 19; Daniel 4; Matthew 4.

 

Today is Labor Day, a day set aside to honor workers. That made me think about work and the part it plays in our lives. Which also brought to mind what someone said about such work.

Recently, one of the proponents of artificial intelligence (AI), Elon Musk, predicted that one day in the near future, AI would advance to where it would do all of our work for us, leaving us to receive a large basic income and freeing us to pursue our hobbies, leisure, or whatever we want. In spite of the fact that his idea describes me personally (I receive a basic income, don’t work, and am able to pursue my own hobbies daily), that description terrifies me – for the future of mankind. Call me a hypocrite, but such a system would be absolutely devastating if it applied to everybody.

Why? Besides the destructive social impact of universal unemployment, there is an even more basic problem: though it might sound good to those who hate their work or are stressed by overwork, not having work to do goes against our Creator’s design for us. So, following are some of my thoughts, not in any particular order (because it would take work to organize them!). Consider the following.

• Work is not a curse, but the natural condition of life. Before mankind fell into sin and received God’s curse, God had already assigned work for us to do. Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Therefore, Adam and Eve didn’t just lie around all day eating grapes brought to them by monkeys; they had work to do.
• The natural state of mankind is poverty. It takes work to create goods, deliver services, practice trade, and meet basic needs. People create wealth by work, transforming their labor into things of value, such as money, which can then be used to purchase the fruit of other people’s labors.
• Some people believe that guaranteed income, that is a check from the government, is a good substitute for a paycheck. After all, if everyone had enough money, they wouldn’t have to work, right? Setting aside basic issues of economics, my question is: What good is that money going to do you if everyone else gets their check and decides not to work either? What good is your money if no one makes any goods for you to buy? What if no one is available to provide the services you want or need? What if you are hurt or sick and all the former medical people are sitting at home with their checks?

Work has more purposes to it than just earning money, as important as that is. I think we can identify five reasons why work is beneficial.

1. Our work provides financial rewards to those who work and their families. Work transforms our efforts into tangible rewards with which we can purchase goods and services we need and want. By working we are trading our time and effort for money or some other means of exchange.  The Bible recognizes employment for gain. Jesus’ parable about workers in the field    centers around workers being paid for their labors (Matthew 20). Luke 10:7 says, “The laborer deserves his wages.”  1 Timothy 5:18 speaks about fair pay when it says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” And 2 Timothy 3:6 says, “The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.” The Bible warns those who would cheat workers of their just pay in passages like James 5:4, “Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.” On the flip side, the Bible also warns those too lazy to work: “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Work for pay and pay for work are good things.
2. Our work provides goods and services to other people. As I said above, without workers, we wouldn’t be able to buy any goods or secure any services. But when we work, we produce things and services that other people need to live and enhance their lives. The farmer works hard and produces the food that many people need to sustain life. The electricians install and service lines to provide our homes and businesses with electricity. Teachers instruct our children and watch them a good part of each day so we can work to provide other people with their needs. Just as a tree produces fruit, so a person provides fruits of his or her labors to benefit others. Ephesians 4:28 says, “doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
3. Our work is spiritually and emotionally rewarding. It just feels good to work hard at something and see what you have accomplished. There are sayings about “a good day’s work” and “a job well done” that speak to the satisfaction that comes from hard work. It satisfies us to see our work do good for others, or else why would so many people volunteer to serve others without pay? We feel happier to help others without expecting any remuneration in return. (Besides, no one could afford me if I charged what I am worth!)
4. Our work is important for our socialization. Where do we learn how to work with other people, get along with them, handle disagreements, celebrate joint accomplishments, and learn communication skills except in places where we work? Tough bosses can frustrate and anger us, but we learn how to do our jobs while placating them. Lazy co-workers? We learn how to deal with them, too. Rude customers? We gain experience from every one of them. (During college, I worked part-time in a department store. In our training, the trainer told us that everyone should work in a job like ours, to learn courtesy and sympathize with other workers when we become customers.) Even if we don’t like them, we can thank God for the “on the job training.” Ecclesiastes 4:9 commends working with other people: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.”
5. Our work is for the Lord. Whether we work for a company, a corporation, a school, a government, or are self-employed, our ultimate employer is God. Our good works, paid or volunteer, glorify him above all, so we are called to serve him in all our work. In the Old Testament, Proverbs 16:3 promises, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” In the New Testament, Colossians 3:23-24 tells us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Summarizing, our Lord Jesus taught us, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

So you see, whatever work we do here on earth, it is much more important than the paycheck we may receive for doing it. Our work benefits ourselves, others, and even glorifies God. Whatever we do for the Lord is valuable: 1 Corinthians 15:58 sums it up: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Deuteronomy 5:13-14; Psalm 90:17; Philippians 4:13; 1 Peter 4:10.