Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
When my children were very young, every few days I would fire up our 4 wheelers and take them for a long drive out into the woods. We would pack a cooler full of snacks and drinks, and before you knew it, our caravan was on its way. We have lots of trails in our area that we can spend plenty of hours exploring on a nice summer afternoon. About 3 miles behind our home is one of the trails that we would take quite often, stopping occasionally for raspberries and mushrooms along the way. One of the places that we normally passed, was a small tree house that someone had built up in some large poplar trees. It was constructed out of used lumber, some mismatched siding and it even had a small little roof on top. I would always stop and tell the children that it was an example of a very humble home, and how we really don’t need very much in this life to be happy. It’s not the size of the house that matters, it’s the size of ones heart. I named that location after one of my younger sons, and each time that we drove by, I made sure to remind everyone to take a good look at Jonah’s House.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Many people will never find happiness in this life because they are constantly searching after more things in this world. They are constantly seeking to upgrade to a bigger house, a bigger car, or a bigger paycheck, and in the end, the only thing that these worldly concerns do, is pull your heart away from a close and loving relationship with the Lord Jesus. Rather than being content with the simple things in life, some people will never be satisfied, and continually seek after things that really don’t matter at all.
1 Timothy 6 ⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸ And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. ⁹ But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰ For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
When you are content, it is to feel or show satisfaction with where you are already at, whether it’s with your status, station, or even the situation that you are in. When you possess this quality you will be gratified, happy and pleased. When people lust after more possessions, it slowly begins to consume their heart, eating them alive from the inside out, and is one of the worst sins mentioned in the Scriptures. This is because the heart is placed on other things rather than God, and you cannot serve both God and the world.
Matthew 6 ²⁴ No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. ²⁵ Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? ²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? ²⁷ Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
²⁸ And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: ²⁹ And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? ³¹ Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ³² (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. ³³ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ³⁴ Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
So many people are so focused on the things of this world that it takes their eyes completely off of what is most important of all, a close and loving relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of seeking the Lord regularly in prayer, other things begin to crowd Him out. Rather than showing up at a church service, they stay at their job to make overtime instead. God doesn’t need our money, what He desires is our hearts and souls, and this is why it is the first and Great Commandment.
Matthew 22 ³⁶ Master, which is the great commandment in the law? ³⁷ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
³⁸ This is the first and great commandment.
But if people were honest with themselves, their hearts are somewhere else. God is no longer their first and greatest love, but is running in last place. Why does this happen? Listen closely. Clear everything off of your plate. Free up the hours of your day. Quit lusting after all the things that don’t matter, and then,…and only then, will you find the time required to seek Him with a full heart. If you cannot find contentedness, you will never find the time to spend in a meaningful relationship with the Lord Jesus; you will never find the time to serve and obey Him; and you will most certainly never find the time required to preach His Holy Word.
Luke 9 ⁵⁷ And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. ⁵⁸ And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. ⁵⁹ And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
⁶⁰ Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. ⁶¹ And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. ⁶² And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
If the Lord isn’t first in your heart, it will only lead to unfruitfulness.
Mark 4 ¹⁸ And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, ¹⁹ And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
The Apostle spent his life preaching, and had learned how to be content.
“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Philippians 4:11
Some people will never be satisfied in this life, constantly seeking after the temporal things of this world. Its only a life of misery, because the heart is placed upon something that will eventually be burned up by God in the end. Life is not found in an abundance of possessions, but through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Contentedness is learning to be happy with the little things that you have, a lesson I always tried to instill in my children, each time that we drove by….
……..Jonah’s House
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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