Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Being Content With Christ

King James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Chapters: Jeremiah 4-6
Message Title: Being Content With Christ

Hello My Friend,

The Christian life, when we first get saved it's amazing, we literally get transformed into someone new, and Christ shows from the inside out. As time goes by, many burdens we carried before we got saved still haunt us, on top of that we get new ones, all of a sudden the Christian life is not so exciting anymore. What do we do? Some people bail, they jump ship, and Christ is no longer a part of their lives, in some cases they become worse than they were before they knew Christ. I look at it this way, if I jump now, where would I go. I may not like where my life is right now, but I do not want to go back to where I was, and I certainly do not want what the world has to offer today. When you stop to think about all you have at the moment with Christ, you will realize just how much you have and how blessed you are. “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” - Hebrews 13:5.

Covetousness, the lust or desire of what others have, in particular, what those of the world have. Covetousness is the downfall of every Christian, once they get a taste of the world, they want more. Now, God knows how to take care of our needs, and He does it amazingly, but the problem comes when we get impatient with Him. Start hanging around worldly people and you will start to desire what they have. No matter how strong a Christian you are, without Christ you will fall into the temptations of the world, especially if other Christians have already fallen. Yes, other Christians, worldly Christians to be exact, and we wonder why the world is in such chaos. This is not something new, Israel went through the same thing. Through Jeremiah, God explains why He will not repent of His judgment, but does give the people one last chance to repent before the destruction will take place.

If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove. And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.” - Jeremiah 4:1-4,22.

Break up your fallow ground, break up the emptiness of your heart, I truly believe that had some of the peoplel repented the very last second that God would have spared them from being captured, but no matter how many warnings they got they refused to listen. There comes a time when God's judgments stand, and no amount of pleading will get Him to repent of allowing it to take place. What He does do is give people a chance to get out of or endure that judgment. All judgments come with some pain, even if we are not the cause of it, but those who endure get the blessings of God. “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” - Mark 24:13,14.

While God did not repent or change His mind of the judgment, He did say He would not destroy it completely. Jeremiah pleas with God to remove the judgment, God tells him why it still stands. “For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD. They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them. Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.” - Jeremiah 5:11-14.

Belied, falsely represented, I'm saved and I can do whatever I want, this is the attitude of many Christians, who live in the world. They live among the world as if they do not know Jesus Christ, but they talk about Him, and proclaim Him as their Saviour. Now, we all sin, and we can fall tremendously of we are not walking with Jesus daily, but a life with Jesus is a changed life, one that shows we are not of the world, but are of Him. We are not to be like the world, if we are than we are falsely representing Christ, and there will be judgment for that.




Through Jeremiah, God expresses His anger toward false men of God.

For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” - Jeremiah 6:13-16.

Given to covetousness, they lusted after the things of the world, and took them. There are so many men and women of God proclaiming Christ, living extravagant, wicked, and immoral lifestyles, and they do not even see that what they are doing is wrong. The problem is, while we ought to be counting every one of our blessings, we are instead crying about what we don't have. We are lusting over what the world and even some Christians have and that is why Christianity itself has declined tremendously. Some of the most truly blessed Christians are the most ungrateful people you will ever see, which is why God's judgment still stands today. We cannot always have everything we want, and let me tell you, we rarely get what we want, but if we learn to be grateful for what we do have, God will bless us with more, much more than what we want.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:11-13,19. Praise God!

Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for reminding me of just how blessed I am to be one of Your children. At times I know I let the cares of life alter my thinking, I begin to doubt Your presence and even that things will ever get better. Then You show up and remind me that You are still here, and everything is in Your time. Lord, renew my thinking, give me a new way of seeing the blessings I have and what You have waiting for me as I endure my troubles with You guiding me. Help me to never forget that You are always with me and will help me get through every burden that I have. I love You Lord and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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