The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble
TO PONDER:
The wisdom writer tells us: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. He tells us here: The fear of the Lord leads to life. Put them together and what we discover is that wise life is found in the Lord. It's easy for us to hear these verses and think that the fear of the Lord is like having this angry God who's waving a stick over us so we comply. That it is about acquiescing to a God who will punish you if you mess up. That's the lie Satan wants you to believe. That God is a kill joy who robs you of any pleasure in life. But God does not want us to be afraid of him but live in holy awe of him. It's acknowledging his greatness, his power, his majesty, his awesomeness, his Lordship over our lives. It's recognising that there is nothing or no-one that can even come close to who he is and what he can do in this world.
When we know this God, we have contentment. When we live in relationship with this God, we have freedom to live. We can rest content. We can sleep well untouched by trouble. That doesn't mean that trouble doesn't happen in our life...it means that it will never define us. It will never take away our peace. Luther put it this way: hI have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all, but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess.' I trusted my ability to get through...it failed me. I trust my good works, they were never enough. I thought I could secure my own future, it's gone. But my peace, that's in God's hands. My trust...I've also put it in God's hands. My future, he's won that for me. My hope - there's only one place I'm putting that...God. I have peace, I have security. I have a future. I have hope in Jesus. What more do I need. What more do you need. Life, I can enjoy that today. I can sleep well today. The troubles I experience, they can never rob me of what I have in Jesus. He leads me to life. That's true for you too.
PRAYER:
Lord, all my hope, all my trust is in you. Lead me in this adventure called life. Amen.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
TO PONDER:
It's probably the best known Psalm in the Bible. One that is used often at funerals. One that is used regularly on the fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday. But it is a Psalm that also speaks a daily reminder into our lives. Consider how different translators render this verse.:
The Lord is my Shepherd,
- I shall not want. (KJV, ESV)
- I lack nothing. (NIV)
- I have all that I need. (NLT)
- I have everything I need. (Good News Translation, The Living Bible)
- I don’t need a thing. (The Message)
Imagine if today, you just let those words wash over you today, be a prayer in your life today.
I lack nothing – Thank you, Lord.
I lack nothing – It’s going to be okay.
I lack nothing – Lord, I trust you
I lack nothing – I can quit my striving
I lack nothing – I don’t need to buy that
I lack nothing - I don't have to prove myself
I lack nothing – God is enough for me.
Would you go back and not just read those words, but pray it. For God is enough for you and me and when we believe that, live that, he restores our soul and we know the joy and peace of contentment he gives.
PRAYER:
Good Shepherd, you are enough for me. For in you, I lack nothing. Amen
Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
TO PONDER:
Life's simple pleasures. The sound of a sprinkler on a freshly mown lawn. Crawling into a bed that has freshly washed sheets on it. A peanut butter sandwich on a piece of fresh bread. A baby asleep in your arms. What are life's simple pleasures for you? What are the things that God, out of his goodness, provides for your enjoyment from day to day?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote: "It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich!" The writer of Ecclesiastes encourages us to enjoy the pleasures of life with thankfulness to God, from whose hand they have come, Enjoy the pleasures he gives, but don't expect more from them than they can offer. Satisfaction is sold separately! It comes from God. We can only enjoy his gifts to the full when we have a relationship with him. So will you stop for a moment, step back from whatever is your lot in life at the moment, and enjoy the simple pleasures God blesses you with today? God doesn't want you caught in the past, or dreaming about the future, but fully present in the moment with him, enjoying the simple pleasures he gives with thanks.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank you for the simple pleasures you give me each day that bring joy to my heart, and a smile to my face. You are so good to me. Amen.
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’or ‘What shall we drink?’or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
TO PONDER:
What's your number 1 worry as you wake up this morning? What's the "What if..." scenario that is constantly in the back of your mind? What if I lose my job? What if my child gets sick? What if my spouse dies? What if I can't make my interest payment? Or maybe it is "what will people think of me?' There are so many things that can cause us worry in this world on a daily basis. So many things that can fill our minds, demand our attentions and consume our time.
All worrying does it erode our trust in God. We begin to rely on ourselves. We live out of a scarcity mindset. Our whole perspective turns inwards rather than upwards and outwards. That's why Jesus interrupts our 'What if" thinking and reminds us that God knows what we need. Jesus doesn't dismiss those concerns, those worries...he puts them in the right perspective. He wants us to focus on the right things...the right relationships...the things that give life, give meaning, and bring peace. Rather than let worry consume us, he invites us to trust God, to let his life, his goodness, his mercy, his provision, his compassion fill our minds, capture our hearts, dominate our time and inspire our action.
So what do you do with the 'what if...' question that you woke up thinking about. Hand it to Jesus and let him carry it while you go with him to have a great day.
PRAYER:
Loving Father, you will meet all my needs according to the riches of your glory in Christ Jesus. Help me to trust that promise and live in it today. Amen.
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
TO PONDER:
GK Chesterton once said, "There are two ways to get enough. One is to accumulate more, the other is to desire less." As you reflect on that statement, which way is your natural leaning point...to get more or desire less? To covet more than you already have or to be content with what you do have?
Every day we are bombarded with media that wants us to believe that we have to have what we already know we don't need. Advertising is designed to make us feel discontent. And if you don't have enough to pay for it, just use Afterpay, Zip Pay, Gimme, Humm or the countless other options created to indulge our covetousness. The underlying premise is you don't want to be left behind others.
But the writer to the Hebrews reminds us that we have enough when we have Jesus. We already have the greatest treasure when we have Jesus. We already have all we need in every situation when we have Jesus. We already have his promise that we will never be left behind. We don't have to keep up with the Jones. We just have to walk with Jesus, who is by our side. I don't know about you, but I'm content with that!
How can you be more aware of Jesus' presence with you as you go about your day today?
PRAYER
Thank you Jesus for your promise that I will never be left behind. Help me to celebrate and enjoy your presence with me as we go about this today together.
Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.
TO PONDER:
Have you heard the old saying? "As a rule, man's a fool. When it's hot, he wants it cool. And when it's cool, he wants it hot, Always wanting, what is not!" It's a truth that advertisers play on, that what we have is never enough. That we need the newest, the most up to date, the best. Is it any wonder that we are so discontent and dissatisfied with the things we have been blessed with?
Paul, in writing to Timothy, shares with him that true contentment doesn't come with a full bank balance or the accumulation of stuff. Contentment comes when we realise how rich we are because we have been given the gift of a relationship with Jesus Christ. The love that he has shown, the mercy that he gives, the grace that fills our life is what makes our lives truly rich, irrespective of the situation we find ourselves in financially or materially. Christ is enough for you and me.
How can your life today give witness to the truth that Christ is all you need?
PRAYER:
Lord, when I am tempted to think the grass is greener someplace else, remind me that the grass is greener where it is watered. Help my relationship with you to flourish so that I might know the joy of contentment. Amen.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
TO PONDER
‘I was trying to fix it, but I’m afraid I’ve made a bigger mess of it. Can you help?’ Holding the starter pull assembly in one hand and an uncoiled spring in the other, a man just down the road from our home, who knew I used to fix lawnmowers, stood at my front door looking for assistance. As I began to rewind the spring tightly to fit in its plastic holder, we chatted and he started sharing his worries and anxieties about life and his future. It was ironic that with each wind of the spring, it seemed that the one who was getting more tightly wound up was my neighbour.
Fear has a way of doing that to us. It winds us up. When we are afraid, our first impulse is to tighten our bodies and shut down our minds. The impulse to tighten can become so deeply ingrained in us that sometimes without even being aware of it, our actions and decisions are motivated by our fear. When we are wound up so tight and we keep our lives at stress point, that one little thing can end up causing our whole lives to unravel and creating an awful mess.
Are your fears winding you up tighter and tighter at this present time? Do you long to live without worry? To be free from anxiety? Do you wonder whether it will ever be possible?
God never commands that which he doesn’t also empower us to do. Paul tells us. ‘Do not be anxious about anything.’ Paul gives us a model for letting go when we are so tightly wound up and our life is starting to unravel and become a mess. Instead of replaying or rehearsing our fears over and over again or allowing them to determine how we live or act, simply give God the content of your worry and invite his word and presence into your fears. For example, ‘God, I am afraid of being alone, but you have said that you will be with me always.’
As we claim God’s perfect promises which are built on his steadfast love, we discover the joy of learning to live without fear.
So what do you think? Is it worth having a go? Give God your fears or worries today.
PRAYER
Lord God, when I am wound up tightly by my fears, help me to confess my anxiety to you and claim your perfect promises. Amen.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
TO PONDER
This is a very popular funeral text. Now, funerals are to comfort the living, and this is certainly a comforting verse, and so it should be, because it’s true. It’s a promise from God, and he doesn’t break promises.
I wonder if the term ‘passed away’ comes from this verse. Many people use it instead of the word ‘death’, or ‘died’. For some, a softening of the word is their version of pastoral care. In a way they are saying, ‘Í don’t want to remind you of the grief you are going through. I don’t want to remind you of your loss’.
For you and me, people of faith, a funeral is also a time of celebration. A time where we can and do celebrate and remember the life of the person being farewelled. God doesn’t mind that, because he is a God of stories, and everyone has a story. And all good things come from God, so to be reminded of a person’s joy in their life, pleases God.
The verse is a confirmation of where that faithful person is now, and that’s with Jesus. Children sometimes ask me, ‘What will heaven be like’? I answer, ‘It will be great, because you’ll be with God’. That’s his promise.
PRAYER: We thank you Father, firstly all the promises you made, and then for keeping every single one. We are sorry Lord, for the times when we have not kept promises, or kept our vows, especially the one’s we or our Godparents made at our baptism. Bless our lives, as only you can. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
TO PONDER
It’s interesting the text says, ‘if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed’…. It’s not a good translation as it should be ‘when the earthly tent we live in…’
The message here is about things that aren’t important in our faith walk. It’s about stuff. Stuff you can’t take with you to heaven.
When our boys were growing up, we’d often watch Veggie Tales, which is an animated series using fruit and vegetables characters telling biblical messages. There was an episode with Madame Blueberry, who was distraught because she never had enough ‘stuff’. She always wanted more, thinking more stuff would make her happy. She was overjoyed one day when a new department store opened across the road, called ‘Stuff-Mart’. One of the questions was ‘How much stuff do you need to be happy’? ‘Dunno. How much stuff is there’ was the answer.
You can guess the outcome. She eventually realised that good friends, food to eat, and a roof over her head give her more joy that all the stuff in her house.
Proverbs 15:27a says ‘The greedy bring ruin to their households’.
We have the surety of a future with God. That’s his promise. If there are things on earth that are getting in the way of your relationship with God, they have replaced God. And in the scary real-estate state of NSW, it is easy to put our dwelling above all else. It’s a good time to re-think our priorities.
PRAYER: It is daunting Lord, to live in this world surrounded by many earthly temptations, and to compare ourselves with others and their treasures. Help us Lord, to put you first above everything else, and forgive us for the times we don’t. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping