Have you observed how powerful little words in the Bible are? Take the word "if" for example. Jesus said, "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24). If our mother Eve had been wise regarding what the little three-letter word "not" meant, the old devil would not have deceived her (Gen. 3:4).

The little word "be" is used frequently in the Bible, and the thoughts connected to it contribute to our salvation. Here is a swarm of gospel "be's".

Be Wise. "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matt. 10:16). Thus the Lord warned the twelve as He sent them on their mission.

Be Faithful. "...be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Rev. 2:10). The circumstances in which the beloved apostle John was at the time were not very favorable. He was exiled on the lonely isle of Patmos. The incentive held out was "be faithful - the crown of life." That was all John needed to deepen his faith.

Be Ready. The Lord says, "Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not, the Son of man cometh" (Matt. 24:44). The Lord could come again at any time. We could pass away and all opportunities to get ready for judgment (John 5:28-29) would be gone.

Be Unmovable. In our present day this admonition is just as pertinent to every member of the body of Christ as when Paul wrote it by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58).

Be Ye Doers. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:22). It is not enough to hear the word of God, but those who are blessed put it into practice every day.

Be Baptized. "And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). To be baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:27) is to be obedient from the heart to that form of teaching (Rom. 6:3-4, 17-18). One is then delivered from the power of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son (Col. 1:13).

If you have not obeyed the Lord and Master in the primary principles of the gospel, I pray that you will attend to that immediately. If you have obeyed him, Be Faithful, Be Doers, Be Wise, Be Unmovable and you will Be Ready.

- The Providence Light, February, 1984