Passage of the Day: 1st Timothy 6: 6 – 10 [see in bold and underlined ] … 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
My Journal for Today: Today John MacArthur in Strength for Today revisits 1st Tim. 6: 10 (please review my devotional entry for Aug. 3 by going to this link) in the context of Paul’s teaching to Timothy and the church about the dangers of loving money and/or holding to a life focus on materialism. At the heart of this pursuit of worldly gain is, of course, greed and/or covetousness; and MacArthur wisely writes, “It’s hard to imagine a sin that has not been committed for the sake of greed.” Do we need to wonder why Paul’s exposition of truth exposes us all in Romans 3: 23, … “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Is there anyone reading here who’s never been greedy or coveted something in their lives?
And in today’s verse Paul uses colorful word pictures to depict the outcomes of money-love. He says that those who become eager for money, “pierced themselves” with many griefs. The Greek word for “pierced” in today’s verse is the word, “peripiero,” which refers to being “skewered”, … much as we do meat for barbecue. Paul is saying that the love of money or materialism can puncture the heart/soul of the one who chooses to pursue material gain in lieu of trusting in God for His providence. And again, we’re reminded of the warnings from Jesus, Who declared that we cannot serve both God and money (see Matt. 6: 24). And David, the Psalmist, reminds us that those who refrain from wandering from the faith into materialism will be satisfied completely (see Ps. 32: 10 and Ps. 17: 15).
May all of us who claim Christ as Lord hold our love of God as our highest pursuit as John commanded in 1st John 2: 15 – 16 [an important verse to have memorized]; and therefore, we declare that we will not be lured by the lusts of this world. This is a worthy aspiration; but we need to be aware that Satan will be continually trying to puncture our hearts and deflate our testimony and witness with the temptation to place materialism higher and higher in our personal priorities – until one day we may discover that our choices elevate money and/or things above God.
May we all remain steadfast to the commitment and goal expressed in Matt. 6: 33 (which I’m sure you have in your heart by now).
My Prayer Today: Help me, Lord, focus on You above all worldly pursuits. Amen
Showing posts with label covetousness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label covetousness. Show all posts
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Thursday, August 04, 2011
August 4, 2011 … Love of Money Ignores True Gain
Passage of the Day: 1st Timothy 6: 6 … 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
My Journal for Today: John MacArthur in his published devotional for this date in Strength for Today, exposing the verse for the day from Paul to Timothy, writes, “True wealth is found in contentment, not in monetary gain.” Besides citing the verse above, he also quotes an old Roman proverb which disclaims, “Money is like seawater; … the more you drink, the thirstier you get, until you die from it’s poison.” MacArthur also supports his claim by citing Solomon in Eccl. 5: 10, who warns, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income..” And finally he cites a quote from the richest man on earth in his day, John D. Rockefeller, who, at his wealthiest, said, “I have made millions, but they brought me no happiness.”
So, … are we getting the picture yet?! From the experience of the ages to the ultimate truth, which is God’s word, we see that happiness and true contentment are not correlated with the love of money and the pursuit of material gain. And yet, so many, and that includes far too many Christians, pursue wealth in the hopes of finding security, contentment, peace, and happiness. And if you read and meditate on Proverbs 30: 8 – 9 as well as 2nd Corinthians 3: 5, you will see that real contentment, peace, and happiness can only be found in a deep and abiding relationship with God.
Oh how our enemy Satan wants us to believe his lies that worldly gain can provide happiness, peace, and/or contentment. But I, for one, give as loud a testimony as I can here in print that I used to be one who pursued happiness through Satan's lie of worldly gain; but I never found contentment until I came to know God, the Son, Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord; and the more I know Him, the more contentment I find in Him … and Him alone.
I pray that you find your peace and contentment in Jesus as well; and again, as I so often do, during my devotional time in these mornings, I remember and sing in my heart the words of that old hymn …
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of this world will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
My Prayer Today: There is no contentment, Lord, except in You. Amen
My Journal for Today: John MacArthur in his published devotional for this date in Strength for Today, exposing the verse for the day from Paul to Timothy, writes, “True wealth is found in contentment, not in monetary gain.” Besides citing the verse above, he also quotes an old Roman proverb which disclaims, “Money is like seawater; … the more you drink, the thirstier you get, until you die from it’s poison.” MacArthur also supports his claim by citing Solomon in Eccl. 5: 10, who warns, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income..” And finally he cites a quote from the richest man on earth in his day, John D. Rockefeller, who, at his wealthiest, said, “I have made millions, but they brought me no happiness.”
So, … are we getting the picture yet?! From the experience of the ages to the ultimate truth, which is God’s word, we see that happiness and true contentment are not correlated with the love of money and the pursuit of material gain. And yet, so many, and that includes far too many Christians, pursue wealth in the hopes of finding security, contentment, peace, and happiness. And if you read and meditate on Proverbs 30: 8 – 9 as well as 2nd Corinthians 3: 5, you will see that real contentment, peace, and happiness can only be found in a deep and abiding relationship with God.
Oh how our enemy Satan wants us to believe his lies that worldly gain can provide happiness, peace, and/or contentment. But I, for one, give as loud a testimony as I can here in print that I used to be one who pursued happiness through Satan's lie of worldly gain; but I never found contentment until I came to know God, the Son, Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord; and the more I know Him, the more contentment I find in Him … and Him alone.
I pray that you find your peace and contentment in Jesus as well; and again, as I so often do, during my devotional time in these mornings, I remember and sing in my heart the words of that old hymn …
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of this world will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
My Prayer Today: There is no contentment, Lord, except in You. Amen
Saturday, January 15, 2011
January 15, 2011 … Contentment: The Opposite of Covetousness
Passage of the Day: Hebrews 13: 5 – Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." [God’s promise in quotes … from Deut. 31: 6, 8]
My Journal for Today: I can’t help but think back to the charge we got earlier this month from Eph. 4: 1 to walk worthy of Christ as we live our lives to grow into Christlikeness. Well, today’s admonition, again, like yesterday, from Hebrews 13, really gets practical and pertinent for our personal application of Christlikeness in today’s world. I personally think that covetousness has become one of the most prevalent social cancers of sin in our culture, having become the touchstone value of our generation. It’s the drive of our world, both for the haves and the have-nots; and whenever it raises its ugly head, whether it be in areas like gluttony or the “desire for stuff” in our world, it separates the one who obsessively pursues money or things from the world from the one who pursues God.
Paul, too, warned his protégé, Timothy and the church about the love of money (and/or things) … In (1st Tim. 6: 10) note the often quoted phrase which has been printed in bold for emphasis.
>>> SCRIPTURE: 1st Tim. 6: 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Paul and the Author of Hebrews wanted believers, and God wants you and me, to see that freedom from covetousness, from greed, can only be found in a spirit of contentment in one’s relationship with Christ and a spirit of thankfulness for God’s providence. Once again, it’s that attitude of humility that allows God to give us His grace; and we’ll never be able to have that grace if we’re selfishly pursuing money or things in our lives.
We must learn to be content with what God’s provision has allowed, especially since we have the best-of-the-best in an abiding relationship with Christ. Note how Paul, languishing in prison with almost no worldly “stuff,” had come to find the contentment we all should be seeking (Phil 4: 11-12).
>>> SCRIPTURE: [Paul – from prison in Phil. 4] 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
Having read ahead a bit, we’re going to see, in the next few days of our devotional study, that finding and securing contentment in our relationship with Christ, though difficult in our world today, is the only way that we can walk that walk which is worthy of our Lord.
My Prayer Today: Lord, help me to be grateful and content with who I am and what You’ve given me. Amen
My Journal for Today: I can’t help but think back to the charge we got earlier this month from Eph. 4: 1 to walk worthy of Christ as we live our lives to grow into Christlikeness. Well, today’s admonition, again, like yesterday, from Hebrews 13, really gets practical and pertinent for our personal application of Christlikeness in today’s world. I personally think that covetousness has become one of the most prevalent social cancers of sin in our culture, having become the touchstone value of our generation. It’s the drive of our world, both for the haves and the have-nots; and whenever it raises its ugly head, whether it be in areas like gluttony or the “desire for stuff” in our world, it separates the one who obsessively pursues money or things from the world from the one who pursues God.
Paul, too, warned his protégé, Timothy and the church about the love of money (and/or things) … In (1st Tim. 6: 10) note the often quoted phrase which has been printed in bold for emphasis.
>>> SCRIPTURE: 1st Tim. 6: 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Paul and the Author of Hebrews wanted believers, and God wants you and me, to see that freedom from covetousness, from greed, can only be found in a spirit of contentment in one’s relationship with Christ and a spirit of thankfulness for God’s providence. Once again, it’s that attitude of humility that allows God to give us His grace; and we’ll never be able to have that grace if we’re selfishly pursuing money or things in our lives.
We must learn to be content with what God’s provision has allowed, especially since we have the best-of-the-best in an abiding relationship with Christ. Note how Paul, languishing in prison with almost no worldly “stuff,” had come to find the contentment we all should be seeking (Phil 4: 11-12).
>>> SCRIPTURE: [Paul – from prison in Phil. 4] 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
Having read ahead a bit, we’re going to see, in the next few days of our devotional study, that finding and securing contentment in our relationship with Christ, though difficult in our world today, is the only way that we can walk that walk which is worthy of our Lord.
My Prayer Today: Lord, help me to be grateful and content with who I am and what You’ve given me. Amen
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