BLESSED EXHORTATIONS (PART 5)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

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.”

So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my Helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Hebrews 13:5-6

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

If you asked the average person to name The Ten Commandments, I believe most people would be able to give you a few.

Do not murder would probably be one of the first responses followed by not stealing or committing adultery but after that, things might slow down a little unless they are well versed in the Bible. In fact, a majority of those asked about the ten primary commands of God would probably be surprised to know that this was one of them:

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20:17

At the heart of this command is the sin of coveting which is at its core is a fundamental yearning for things that either you don’t have or someone else has and sometimes these two reasons for yearning merge.

For example, maybe a man isn’t married and lives next door to a couple. The neighbor’s wife is very attractive and the neighbor begins to wish he could be with her. Perhaps the wife isn’t satisfied with her husband and is also yearning for another man. I think you can see where this is heading.

It’s a sinful, adulterous match waiting to happen and Satan is ready to play matchmaker, all because two people coveted.

Overall, I think we all have fallen into the trap of longing for more than we have, so much so sometimes that we fail to see how blessed we are already. This is why I feel today’s blessed exhortation is so important because it serves as a sort of scriptural kryptonite for the transgression of covetousness. Look again at these words found in verses 5 and 6 of Hebrews, chapter 13:

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.”

So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Here we find three main application points for our lives and I would like to touch on them individually.

1. We need to avoid developing a love of money.

Some people, even many Christians, are laser-focused on money and wealth accumulation. Whether through investing, often with the desire to get rich quick, or betting via the lottery, gambling in casinos, or sports (all the rage these days), millions of people are obsessed with becoming one of the rich and famous, no matter the odds that are against them. In fact, they are sometimes willing to squander all that they have in order to try and satisfy their desire for affluency.

It’s little wonder why Jesus said this more than 2,000 years ago and people should heed His words today:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:19-21, 24

Did you catch the last part of that?

Either God or money will be a person’s master. It can’t be both. Only one can rule over your life.

This is why Jesus implores His followers to store up treasures in Heaven vice chase after the treasures of the earth of which money is chief. You can’t put an amount on the vast riches one gains when they are fully invested in the Lord and His kingdom work here on earth. Yes, you won’t be prosperous by the world’s standards but you will be well-off in the sight of the God who will always ensure you have what you need. All you need to do is serve Him completely while placing your full faith and trust in Him.

And this leads me to the second takeaway for us today:

2. In God, we have all we could ever need or hope for.

With total confidence, a Christian believer should know that God is with them and for them, no matter what life brings. He never leaves or forsakes those who remain faithful to Him and even if someone does turn from Him, He is always ready to welcome them back when they repent and seek to restore fellowship with Him (reference the Parable of the Prodigal Son to get a picture of what this looks like.

When we realize and truly embrace the truth that the Lord God Almighty, the Maker and Master of all things in Heaven and on earth is with us and for us, then we understand that we have an ally who possesses infinite, unrivaled power, an ally who no one can fight against and win. And so we can believe in our hearts and testify with our lips that God is our Divine Helper and Protector, the One who “mere mortals” have no chance against.

With these first two points in mind, we move onto our final life application point.

3. We are to be content with what we have for in God, we have all we could ever need.

The Almighty and one and only God of creation loves and cares deeply for those who place their hope and trust in Him. He provides for the needs of all His servants by ensuring they have what they need to carry out His will in their lives. This doesn’t mean He will fill every person’s bank account to overflow but it does mean that He won’t forsake our most basic needs like shelter, food, and clothing. We just need to trust Him and then give Him thanks, keeping our attention on Him and being content with what He has given, not leering into the world and what others might have in it. For sure, many of the richest people who have ever lived are destined for Hell while millions of people considered poor and destitute by society are simply waiting for Jesus to come back and usher them into inheriting the riches of the very Kingdom of God.

The late, great pastor, Billy Graham, once quipped that he never saw a funeral hearse pulling a U-Haul trailer while on the way to a cemetery. His point was this:

You can spend your whole life amassing treasure on earth but when you die, you’re simply going to leave them behind. Someone else will get everything you gained.

Today’s blessed exhortation demands that we do ourselves a favor and simplify our lives, steering clear of the love of money and instead directing devotion to the God who always helps and provides for His beloved believers. When we do this, then and only then, will we be able to reach a place where we are content with what we have, living with an attitude of gratitude to the Lord who is with us and for us, now and for all eternity.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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