As a nation, we recently witnessed the burial of our 38th president. Gerald Ford was cut out of mid-western cloth and wore his apparel well throughout the years of his public service. One of the tidbits that became known during the coverage of his funeral was a comment he made regarding his mother. President Ford said that his mother told him to remember just three things in life: 1) Always tell the truth; 2) Work hard; and 3) Come to dinner on time. He claimed that this simple ethic guided him throughout his life. It takes little thought to realize that as a nation we would be far better off if we all followed his mother’s advice. The more I ponder this three-part charge, the more I can’t help but see some biblical connection. I ask the reader to allow me a little exegetical license on the following discussion, but I believe that some parallels are worth considering between Mrs. Ford’s wisdom and the teaching of Scripture. 1) Always tell the truth. This one stands on it own and begs you to object. At the heart of biblical teaching is the cornerstone of the truth. The OT presentation of Jehovah emphasizes this fact: “Thou art God and thy words are truth…” “…O LORD, God of truth.” In the NT Jesus makes the assertive claim: “I am the way, the truth and the life…” Truth is offered as both a descriptive phrase and an attribute of the Godhead. “Lead me in thy truth and teach me…” With this last phrase we have not only Mrs. Ford’s recipe for life, but God’s injunction on the matter. 2) Work hard. It doesn’t take long to remember the Scriptural teaching on this subject. “Work for the night is coming when no man can work.” “…but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day…” Even God “labored” in and for creation. Granted He did it with the spoken word, but with enough “effort” that He provided for a day of rest for man’s sake. 3) Come to dinner on time. One of the glorious expectant events we have as believers is the marriage supper of the Lamb. And even though the meal is planned, there is still a standing invitation: “Come, assemble for the great supper of God.” Granted, that invitation exists only for believers, but even still, the invitation exists. And somehow, I don’t think that we’ll have to worry about being on time!