Hebrews 13:5-6 New American Standard Bible
5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,” 6 so that we confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?”
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Did you ever read the story, The Fisherman’s Wife?
https://americanliterature.com/childrens-stories/the-fisherman-and-his-wife
It’s a wonderful story published by the Brothers Grimm in about 1812 about a fisherman who catches a magic flounder fish.
When the fisherman shared this with his wife she called him foolish, told him go have the fish give them a cottage instead of the small house they lived in.
The fisherman obeyed and came home to a nice cottage.
But a day later, the wife was dissatisfied and insisted he go back and ask for a castle.
The fisherman reluctantly did that, and there was a castle in place of their cottage.
A day later, the wife wanted to be the queen of the whole land.
Once again, the husband went to the fish and told him what his wife wanted.
And even though that wish was also granted, the wife wanted to be ruler over the sun and moon.
When the husband left the fish after telling him that, he came home to find something that surprised him. He found his wife in the very same little house they first had. The story’s moral is: We should be content with what we have.
It’s easy to look around and see what others own and to be dissatisfied with what we have at the moment. We get envious, we get jealous, and depressed.
In this age of technology, we are forever being shown things we should own.
We are shown houses, estates, mansions of the rich and famous.
When I was in Scotland and London several years ago, a church tour we toured Edenborough Castle, we toured many other castles which were in complete and utter ruins barely recognizable as castles.
We finally returned to London there was the Royal House of Windsor Castle the oldest castle in the world.
Of course, we dare not miss mentioning the grandeur of Buckingham Palace.
Being owned by the Royal Family King Charles III, none of the above stately properties will ever go up for sale to anyone especially any of us commoners.
For all us regular folks, even millionaires and billionaires and trillionaire, the whole psychology behind real estate marketing is to make the potential buyer feel like he/she is missing out, if they do not have the newest of everything.
Instead of the glut and lure, temptation of material things, all the latest highest technologies, God’s Word is what we should be immersed in, not the world and modest, low budget, fancy and 5 star expensive AI generated advertisements.
Place Your Life Before God
12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Read Romans 12:1-2 very carefully.
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it all before God as an offering.
Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God.
God wants us to not be conformed to this world.
We should not have to follow the world’s pattern.
If we read, study, apply God’s Word, we see how important it is to be content.
When we think we lack things we’re entitled to, it’s a very real temptation to be dissatisfied with God’s provision.
Philippians 4:10-14 The Message
Content Whatever the Circumstances
10-14 I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.
Read Philippians 4:18-20.
Philippians 4:18-20 New American Standard Bible
18 But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am [a]amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus [b]what you have sent, [c]a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply [d]all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be the glory [e]forever and ever. Amen.
God says he will supply all our needs.
And he does this according to the riches in Christ Jesus.
That’s Radical Generosity.
When we are discontent, it’s easy to have quarrels about material possessions.
The Bible calls us to be thankful for and be content with everything we have.
Our family, health, meals, resources we can share with loved ones, and of course life itself— all are precious gifts from the Lord.
But our discontentment, envy, jealousy, greed, or fears doesn’t allow us to fully appreciate and treasure the precious gifts of life.
We don’t know what the future holds.
We might have to go through difficult times of having “no food on the tables, in the cupboards or shelves”—or worse.
But as the beloved children of God we are each assured of his continuous love and care. The Lord himself is our helper and our provider in this perilous life.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Praying …
Psalm 23 Complete Jewish Bible
(0) A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
3 he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.
5 You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.
6 Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 