I don't remember what my excuse for Thursday is...oh, yeah. I had to go to the grocery store and the library.
Right. Because those things are way more important than Bible reading.
That was sarcasm in case you missed that.
Economic concerns. Consumer prices were flat in July as energy costs retreated following a big increase in June. Over the past 12 months, prices dropped the most in nearly six decades. Retail sales also fell this week while jobless claims increased.
Fear nothing�not wild wolves in the night,
not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
drop like flies right and left,
no harm will even graze you. (The Message)
"The Psalmist continues to insist upon the truth which we have just adverted to, that, if we confide with implicit reliance upon the protection of God, we will be secure from every temptation and assault of Satan."
(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)
"Godliness and Contentment"
1 Timothy 6:6-8
6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. (ESV)
We have already established that there were false teachers in the early church who aimed to enrich themselves with the gospel.
Here, Paul admits, that, yes, there is great gain to be had in godliness. However, that gain is not material. "...the gain of which he speaks is not financial. Instead, the gain from godly living is its promise 'for the present life and also for the life to come.' With godliness comes the confidence that God will indeed take care of His holy people..."
The godliness that brings great gain is coupled with contentment. Herein lies the problem with the false teachers in Ephesus as well as many false preachers of our day. We can be sure that God will take care of our physical and material needs (and will, from time to time, even give us some of our "wants"), but we need to find that place of contentment. Those who are always after a bigger car or bigger house or a bigger church building are not exercising contentment. The point is that our material possessions are "worthless compared with the glories of the age to come." As Paul said, "we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world."
"Never Again Remembered"
Isaiah 43:25
I, I am he
who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins. (ESV)
I confess...this is one of my favorite topics. Should be yours, too, since it deals with all of our sins being forgiven and forgotten!
"Not only has God blotted out our sins, He has further promised never to remember our sins, never to bring them to His mind again."
This is, indeed, an overwhelming thought! This brings great joy to my heart. Whatever my sins, God has put them out of his mind, forever.
This concept is repeated many times in Scripture. It can be found in Hebrews 8:12, "For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more." (ESV) It's in Hebrews 10:17-18. 17 then he adds,
�I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.�
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. (ESV)
It's also in Psalm 130:3-4, stated a little differently. 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared. (ESV)
Who could stand if God kept a record of sins? None of us would survive. But he does not. He forgives, and he forgets.
Hallelujah!
I pray for contentment in my life. I pray that I focus only on what I need. No, scratch that. Lord, I don't need to focus on anything like that. You will provide what we need. I don't need to care or worry about it at all. Let me be content with what I have.
Thank you for your protection that is always over us. Psalm 91 was long been one of my favorite passages, promising your protection over those who love you and live in you.
Grace and peace, friends.