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.
TO PONDER
Movies often show spies fleeing their hide-outs as their enemies come to capture them. These spies are often prepared to flee at a moment’s notice and have a small rucksack ready for just such an occasion. Life on the run must be lived light.
In my youth, I was often on my motorbike travelling hundreds of kilometres per day for the sheer joy of it. On the run you may say, from dreary workdays. All I needed was the bike, a sleeping bag, and a change of underwear. The life of a gypsy seemed attractive when young bones had no need of comfort.
The author to the Hebrews says that those who live by faith are strangers and pilgrims on this earth, looking forward to something more complete in eternity. This life is temporary. We are not permanent residents. Tom Waits has a great line in his song, ‘Come on up to the house’. It says, accurately, ‘the world is not my home, I’m just passing through’.
If all we have is Jesus, and minimum supplies, we can be content with that and still have great gain in what is to come.
Spiritual Intelligence is patience, long-suffering. This is godliness with contentment.
PRAYER
Father, transform my heart to cherish each day, a day at a time. Transform my mind that my desire may be for you and for the work of love in my family and community. Still my soul and give me contentment in a troubled world. Amen.
Today's devotion written by LifeWay Illawarra's Pastor, David Schuppan
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
TO PONDER
Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, what does this mean? A sacrifice was offered to God in order to please Him. We can do this when we offer our lives to Him and allow Him to direct us in the ways He wants us to go. Does this mean we should all be pastors, or missionaries?? I don’t think so. God wants us to offer our lives to Him, in every circumstance we are in. We are called to be in the world and to do everything we do for God’s glory. As this verse says, this means we will be living in a way that is different to the world around us. We are supposed to live lives that look different, and in this way point others to Jesus, not ourselves. So, let’s daily offer our bodies, our lives, our dreams and our aspirations to God and ask Him to use these for His glory, to point those around us to Himself.
PRAYER
Jesus, thank you that you call me to join with you in pointing others to God. I know that I fall short of this mission day after day, but I also know that you consistently forgive me, set me back on my feet and gently guide me back to the right path. Help me to offer my life to you each day. In your name I pray, Amen.
Today's devotion written by Elise von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
TO PONDER
These words of Jesus come after He has predicted His own death. He shares what He knows is about to happen and then says, ““Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.” What an incredible example Jesus sets for us! He knows that something awful is about to happen to Him and yet, instead of asking God to rescue Him from it, He recognises what needs to be done and places His trust in His heavenly Father. Then, the most amazing thing happens, a voice from heaven shouts out in praise. I have often pondered the idea of the rocks crying out praises. All of creation was made by God and made to praise Him. That can be easier when things are going well, but praising God when times are tough can be a hard thing! But, this verse shows us how heaven rejoices when we praise God and glorify His name in the midst of our strife and trouble.
PRAYER
God, I praise you for who you are and all that you have done for me. I thank you that you are with me, when things are going well and when things are hard. Help me to praise you despite my circumstances, and remind me that I am joining with the heavens in glorifying your name. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Elise von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
4. Psalm 40:1-3
I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.
TO PONDER
Have you ever felt like you are in a pit? That feeling when you can’t see a way out and even if you try you find yourself slipping around without a safe place to put your feet? A pit is a scary place to be! Being patient while in the pit is a hard thing to do! I don’t know about you, but I try and get myself out of it, even if I end up exhausting myself and getting deeper and deeper in. My instinct is to try myself. The psalmist here is reminding us to do something different, to wait patiently on the Lord, and trust that he sees our predicament, he hears our cry and he can lift us out. Even more than this, he puts a new song in our mouths, one of praise to Him. When we trust in God to get us out of our troubling pit he not only saves us, but uses it to point others to himself. So, let us stop struggling and instead turn our faces to Jesus, cry out and patiently wait on Him.
PRAYER
Jesus, I thank you that you know how to get out of the pit, because you have been there too. You have been utterly alone, totally afraid and yet completely trusting in your heavenly Father. Help me to have the same trust and to sing a song of praise, that those around me might know your mighty power and praise you too, Amen.
Today's devotion by Elise von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
TO PONDER
What comes to mind when you think of praising? Maybe it’s singing, maybe it’s words of encouragement to someone for a job well done. When we praise God we are expressing our gratitude to him and communicating our acknowledgment of all He is and does for us. The Psalmist here recognises just some of the many things God gives us and does for us. The examples in the Psalm are specific to the people being written to, but we can also apply them to us today. He has gathered us, who were separated from Him, to Himself through the death of His Son and He builds our church through the work of the Holy Spirit. He heals us and gives us wholeness. He has always and continues to determine all the stars and know them by name. It is the same with us, He knows us, loves us and longs for us to know Him. He is worthy of our praise!!!
PRAYER
Jesus, we praise you for all you are and do for us, the things we are aware of and the things that you do without us even knowing. We praise you for who you are; our Saviour, best friend and yet the King of heaven and earth. Help us to understand these truths in deeper and more intimate ways. In your name we pray, Amen.
Today's devotion by Elise von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.
TO PONDER
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to lead a procession? I must admit, I’ve never really thought about it, probably because I’ll never have the opportunity to experience it.
What about closely watching a band leader/conductor at the front of a marching band? They have a terribly important job to do in making sure every band member is watching them, so the musicians stay in time and in formation. This is something I do enjoy. In fact, when two US College NFL teams came to Sydney the other year to play the opening round of their football season, I went along to see the marching bands almost as much as the game.
Our text mentions us as leading a procession as captives. So, it is not heading up a parade as prisoners, or being in front of a march as inmates. But it is being a captive to Christ. It is about triumph in Christ. It is about our victory, via Jesus and his victory, over sin, death and devil.
When we became a child of God at our baptism, we became ‘captive’ to God. God captured us - for himself. As ‘prisoners’ of God, then, our response is to share with the world, what this means to us.
You may never have thought of yourself as a captive of Christ, as we often mention the freedom we have in Christ. But as a captive of Christ, we are eternally linked to him, so in a way, we are prisoners (in a good way) as well as being free! Unlike a real prisoner, there are no ‘must dos’, or ‘should’ with Christ. That’s the freedom we have, as captives!
We are then free to share and serve.
PRAYER
Dear Jesus, thank you for the victory you won for us on the cross. Thank you that we are free to follow, and share, and give, and serve. As captives in your procession, give us the boldness to live our lives confidently as a child of God. In Jesus name we pray. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
TO PONDER
Here we have Paul telling us not to worry. Sure, easy to say, or write about.
Why? Read on...but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Here’s a God, who wants us to talk to him. Here’s a God who says, ‘whatever is on your mind, chat to me about it. Whatever is troubling you, whatever is causing you stress, whatever is of concern to you, talk to me.’
And then the why. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. The peace of God, which ‘transcends all understanding’, or ‘The peace of God, that we don’t get’. So, something we don’t understand, something we can never work out, and something we allow someone else to take control of, ‘will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’.
Your heart has a guard. Your heart is protected. You need not be anxious, because God has it covered.
PRAYER
Father, we thank you for your love, your underserved love you give us. Thank you for always being there to comfort us, to assure us, and to uphold us. Help us to remember this in those times of trouble. In Jesus name. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
TO PONDER
Ah peace! Where do I find it? How do I get it? Because sometimes, that’s all I strive for. A little bit of peace please. Stop with all the notifications on my phone. Enough of the updates when I start or close the computer. Cease sending all the junk and spam emails I take the time to delete!
And the traffic some days! It’s back to pre-Covid levels, meaning, a lot! ‘Catch public transport’ you say. I would, when it runs efficiently, or when it runs at all!
God says, ‘Okay’. Here’s some things I’ve done for you. Maybe you’ve forgotten them, so I’m happy to remind you. I’ve given you the night so you can have some peace. I’ve given you the knowledge to find whatever information you need to have an easier trip to work. I’ve given you the ability – if you so choose - to stay away from your screens. And by the way, I’ll be watching over you, and be keeping you safe during the day, and then when you get home at night’.
Thanks God.
PRAYER
You alone O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Teach me to judge rightly and dwell in peace. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.
TO PONDER
Do you sometimes have trouble sleeping? Are there things going around in your head that keep you awake? I must admit, there are times when my sleep is interrupted, where there seems to be no room in my head for peace, as the things going around and around can’t be resolved.
This text is a reminder of who we are, and whose we are. As the overplayed theme song for the film Frozen (hopefully that’s not going around in your head) says, ‘Let it Go’. Let go and let God. Often, we can’t resolve those problems. In fact, when a problem seems insurmountable, give it to God. He’s big enough to handle anything thrown at him, especially by us humans, as he’s been doing it for a long time – and won’t stop.
Under God’s watchful care, His children – you and me – can rest, committing our cares to His loving hand.
Do you want a reminder of God’s watchfulness over you? Reflect on this beautiful song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBraI_mU1O4
PRAYER
Carer of all, thank you for holding our hand all day – even when we didn’t realise. Continue to watch over our lives, stay by our side, and hold us through the night. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping