What is The Secret to Contentment With Your Income? Insight from Psalm 23:1

How can we find contentment? 

Our human nature is rarely happy with what we have. We are like the toddler who sees something and as he reaches out for it and screams, "Mine!" It is cute in a toddler but can lead to misery as an adult. Does the Bible teach how to be content? It does, and you may already know the passage.

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1

THE LORD
The first two words of this verse are the most important ones.  They begin this psalm with a view of God which is a good attitude for everything we do.

A "lord" has the authority to rule, and he has the highest status and power over those in submission to him. When you call God your Lord, then you have made the most serious declaration you can make.

A SHEPHERD
We need a shepherd...

• The shepherd provides by making sure that the sheep have food and water.
• The shepherd guides the sheep to safe pasture and brings them to freshwaters.
• The shepherd leads the sheep. They follow him to those safe places. He goes ahead to find the best and safest way.
• The shepherd shelters the sheep by protecting them from dangers.
• The shepherd watches the sheep not only as a guard but out of love for them.
• The shepherd never leaves the sheep; without his presence, they are vulnerable to attack and injury.

MY SHEPHERD
People recite this famous verse of poetic scripture and think they are covered by some universal grace. The truth is you must personally make the Lord your shepherd. God is love, so He will not force himself on you since that would not be loving. He waits for you to come to Him and choose Him. Until you do, you cannot honestly say that the Lord is your shepherd.

If you have invited God into your life (to understand more about this, see the link above for the Gospel), then God is your shepherd, and He does all these things for you. Your needs and wants are in His care.

If your needs and wants are in the care and custody of the Almighty Creator of the Universe, who is also the Lord of all Heaven and Earth and Lord of all time, then you can be confident that you have enough, because as your Lord, He knows your needs and He knows what is best for you.

YOU LACK NOTHING
You may feel something is missing, but because the Lord is your shepherd, you lack nothing.
Because He is All-Wise, He knows what is best for you and will either give it or withhold it.
Because He is All-Love, what He gives is given out of love, and what He withholds is withheld out of love.

The person who wrote the 23rd Psalm was content not because he has a lot of stuff, or a full dinner plate or a beautiful house (indeed he may have been sleeping in the open and eating roots),  but his contentment came by viewing the Lord's provision as all he needed.

We should be content because God is watching over us. He is our shepherd.

(c) Adron 7/28/18

How To Get A Guaranteed Reward For What You Do

We all want to get rewarded for our work but can we really get ahead at any cost, and if so what kind of profit will it be?

"A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward." Proverbs 11:18.

A WICKED PERSON
In a sense we are all wicked at heart, but the individual who gives himself over to that evil lurking within is much worse off than the ignorant person or the person who continues to struggle with right and wrong.

The "wicked" in this Bible verse is someone who will deceive others; they would even deceive God if they could but knowing that they can't they just ignore God.

DECEPTIVE WAGES
The results of compromise and profit by wrong doing prove to be empty and not at all what was hoped for.  Often the results will not be as much as promised or not there at all; even if the rewards promised are realized they do not bring enjoyment or satisfaction.

ONE WHO SOWS
Sowing is hard work. It is putting little seeds in acres of prepared soil. You do it in the hot sun on your feet until you are tired and then you do it some more because if you don't you will not have a crop. To sow the seed requires commitment, patience, planning and a measure of skill. This is the opposite of the "Get Rich Quick" philosophy.

RIGHTEOUSNESS
The righteous person acts right so the results will be holy. The righteous know their actions are known by the Almighty and are judged by others.

REAPS
Reaping is a resulting action. It means if you do this then that will come about- namely that with time there is fruit to harvest.

SURE REWARD
The reward is as sure of as the Eternal Holy God who guarantees it via this promise. He is trustworthy so our reward is secure.

Unlike the empty wages of the wicked the righteous can be confident that there will be something at the end of his labor.

It is implied that this sure reward is also a bountiful reward.

REMEMBER
Character counts, a person who is deceptive, cuts corners, falsifies statements, to get a quick reward, is himself deceived- he will fall and will cause others to go down with him.

If you want good things in life sow goodness.

____________________________

Thank you for visiting my blog. 
I hope these post help.
See my most helpful post in the sidebar.

 Adron

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Does God Count Attitude When You Give?. Deuteronomy 15:10

People are always asking for money and we know we should give, and we do, but what about all those promises where God said He would bless us if we give.  It seems those promises are not true in our case. Why?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT GIVING AWAY MONEY?

"...And your eye is hostile to your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you and it will be a sin in you.  Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to." Deuteronomy 15:10.

WHAT IS IT TO GIVE GENEROUSLY?

To be generous is to be liberal and without restriction, or boundaries.  It is giving not just what is needed but to give beyond the need, to give extra.  Generous giving is a command according to this verse.

WHAT IS A GRUDGING HEART?
The Lord looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).  If you give generously but do it grudgingly it is as if you did not give at all.  God will still use the gift and others may be blessed but you may have endangered your own blessing.

REMEMBER;

     * Jesus is watching.  When in the temple the part of worship he watched was those giving alms. (Luke 21:1).
     * God will give his praise.  There are only a few times in the Bible where it relates that God gives praise.
     * Jesus said it is as if we were doing this unto him. (Matthew 25:45)
     * It is an act of love.
     * It is an act of worship.
     * It is Godly since God is generous.
     * It is a statement of faith.
     * It is not yours anyway, "the earth is the Lord's and the fullness of it." (Psalm 24:1)
     * It is an act of faith.

WILL THE LORD BLESS YOU?
He will bless you in, "All your work and in everything you put your hand to." This is a promise from the Lord of the universe.  Think of what you want to accomplish, what are your dreams goals, and plans, to see them blessed by God would be wonderful and exciting.  God promises just that- if we give generously and cheerfully.

(c) Adron Dozat 5/10/15

What Can We Do When Our Needs Are Greater Than Our Resources?

We have needs, they are honest and legitimate but we do not have the money or resources to satisfy our needs. Where do we go, and what can we do? The Bible offers some advice.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19.

MY GOD
To say that God, in general, can meet all our needs would be stating the obvious since He is the Creator of All things but this verse speaks in terms of an emphatic "my God." Here is the idea of ownership and relationship. That because God is his God he is confident of having his needs supplied.

WILL
God is willing to meet our needs, he already met our greatest need- the need for a savior when he sent Jesus to take our sin and die in our stead so we may have salvation. If by giving Christ he has given us the greatest of heaven then the little needs of our lives are easily met.

MEET ALL YOUR NEEDS
God can grant our needs by filling them to overflowing, not just meeting them. God is not limited and can provide for all your needs, physical, emotional, financial, spiritual and whatever unique need we each have; none are exempt from his willingness or ability to provide for.

ACCORDING TO THE RICHES
The whole earth is full of God's riches, so to meet our need will not bankrupt him. God can be generous because his riches are not diminished, and his nature is to be generous. He has already given his greatest treasure in giving Christ for us, after that why would he hold anything back?

OF HIS GLORY IN CHRIST JESUS
It is in Christ that we may be confident that all our needs will be met. When God provides for us who have come to him it brings him glory through our thanksgiving, our praises, and the motivation for us to live lives that express gratitude.

If we look to have our needs met by our own efforts we will fail but if we look to God in faith to let him meet our needs we will find God will bless us.

To learn more about the riches of salvation see my other blog.

12/22/14

Where Does Wealth Come From? Deuteronomy 8:17-18

You may think. I went to work, I worked hard and invested my paycheck so now I have wealth- but would you be right?

"You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me" But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth..." Deuteronomy 8:17-18

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
This is from the Bible where the people are instructed that when they come into the Promised Land to beware the dangers of pride and forgetting the God who brought them there.

REMEMBER
"Remember" is a word that is asking you to make an effort. When everything seems right it is easy to forget something and that is when you most need to remember.

THE LORD YOUR GOD
It is God we need to remember, because:
     * He is the All-Powerful.
     * He is the Creator.
     * He is the One who sustains all things.
     * He is the governing Lord of All.

IT IS HE WHO GIVES ABILITY
The Bible is saying it is a mistake to think that you are the one who produced the wealth you posses. It is The Almighty who gives you breath and allows your heart to beat so you can work.  It is God who gave you intelligence to understand the workplace, markets, and trends.

If The Lord took your health away you would not be able to go and earn a living. If He allowed you to experience a stroke you may not be aware to manage your affairs.  He gives you the ability to earn and manage wealth- therefore God is the source of wealth.

GIVE THANKS
We must work hard but we must make it a priority to remember and thank God for the ability to work and the blessing he has put on our labors.

Why Should I Be Content? Hebrews 13:5

A lot of times we do not feel like we have enough, enough food, clothing, housing, money, education, recreation, or just plain stuff. We think if only we could have a little more money we can get the things we need and want. Somehow we never get there because after getting what we want we still have wants and needs.

"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."  Hebrews 13:5.

KEEP
Keep is an action word and suggest a long-term process. This Bible verse is pointing to an ongoing lifestyle.

A LIFESTYLE FREE FROM LOVE OF MONEY
To be free from something means you are not under its control or enslaved by it. The love of money can bring you into emotional and psychological slavery. You will spend more of your time serving money than on other healthier activities.

When you love something you think about it all the time. It affects all your choices and becomes the object of your time, thoughts, and energy.

We forget that money is a tool. It is something we use, hopefully, we use it wisely. It is a test because God has given specific commands concerning it. Money is not the purpose of our lives.

A LIFESTYLE THAT IS CONTENT
To be content is to have a healthy evaluation of where God has put you and what he has given you. It is to be thankful for what you have and what you do not have.

A LIFESTYLE THAT REMEMBERS GOD HAS SAID
This lifestyle trusts God and his Word. Our focus must be on God, not ourselves or our possessions. We must remember His Word and His promises. God has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." He is better and more satisfying than the things of this world.

 Learn to be content with God and you will be content with all the things of this life.


To read the entire chapter of Hebrews 13 click here.

If you feel that God is not part of your life then see my other blog about salvation.

Will God Give You The Money You Need? Matthew 7:11

We doubt God's goodness and think if we have a problem or need we will have to struggle to provide the solution.

"If you then know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will you heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him?" Matthew 7:11.

KNOW HOW
Jesus begins with a comparison that we can relate to. Of course, we know how to give good gifts to our children. For normal healthy people we like to give something good to our kids, and many of us spend a lot of time doing so in one way or another.

HOW MUCH MORE
When we try to compare our ways with God's we are so far short that there is nothing that can describe it. If we are good God is infinitely more so. If we are generous God is infinitely more.

TO THOSE WHO ASK
Prayer is a mystery but the Lord has chosen to reveal that God will give to those who ask. He has promised to answer prayer and he waits for us to ask in prayer. Prayer seems to be a test of faith and an expression of faith.

HEAVENLY FATHER
We must have a relationship with the Father in Heaven. He is our father as creator but there is a relationship that He offers through His Son. Without this relationship, he is a distant father. To learn more about how to have a relationship with the Father see my other blog.

PRAY
We work ourselves to the bone to put food on the table and a roof over our head, but The Heavenly Father is waiting to give what we need if we ask. It may be that He will choose to answer by providing a job or the ability to exercise financial wisdom. Maybe He will give a marketable skill or maybe He will answer with a miracle of provision. Whichever way He answers prayer He will not answer prayer until we pray.

How Much Of My Money Should I Give To Charities. 2 Corinthians 9:8

How much should we give to charities? A token, a percentage or give until it hurts?

"And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8.

GOD
The first consideration is God; we live in full view of His watchfulness. If we are afraid to be generous it is a statement that The Almighty is too small to take care of us.

ABLE
But he is not small- He is able, which means that his resources are endless and cannot be diminished. He has more and more of what we need and never is without enough. He is The Creator who makes all things that is out of nothing.

BLESS
Here the idea that God can give you all you need. Not because you have done something to earn it but because he is the Almighty and he chooses to.

ABUNDANTLY
Abundance exceeds the need far beyond the amount of the need. There is no need we can ever have that he is not able to satisfy it exceptionally.

ABOUND IN EVERY GOOD WORK
He gives us enough for our need but also enough to help others.

Knowing that The Lord can bless us abundantly should free us from feelings of compulsion or pressure to give. We can give freely and cheerfully.

If He has given us resources and we are aware of a need and we have fulfilled all other obligations we should give sacrificially. We each must decide for ourselves how much to give; but we can give sacrificially because God is able to bless abundantly more than we can give. We must trust in God to be the one who supplies our need so we can do good in the lives of others.

What is The First Step to Getting out of Poverty?

There are so many systems of creating wealth and getting out of poverty; some say one thing and some another. Where do you begin?

"He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap, he seats them with princes, with princes of their people." Psalm 113:7-8.

The Bible quote is from a passage of praise to God for His power and care. Central in this song of worship is the statement that the Lord is the one who lifts the poor from the dust.

GOD
Our foundation and starting point is to have God in our plans. He is all-powerful and a great business partner, (make sure he is the senior partner). He knows the way to go and the future. He is wise and caring.

THE LORD LIFTS
     * He gives us the strength to look for work and do work.
     * He provides a job and an income.
     * He keeps disaster from robbing us of work.
     * He blesses our work.
     * He protects us from the economic downturns and fickle markets.
     * He opens doors of opportunity to excel in our work.
     * He watches the many things we have no control over.

DUST and ASH HEAP
Nothing is lower than dust and the ancient ash-heap was full of all manner of waste.  No matter how low you are God can lift you.

SEATS THEM WITH PRINCES
To sit with princes is to enjoy the best, and to be at the top of society. It is the inner circle of government and privilege.

Forget about being a "self-made man," strive to be a God lifted man. Acknowledge God for those who fail to honor The Almighty are not honored by The Almighty.

* * * * *

FOOTNOTE: The second interpretation.
There is another kind of poverty. Those who are poor in spirit are lifted by the Loving Father. He saw our spiritual need and sent his son to pay for our sins, so we may have salvation and its riches. This is the greater riches and most to be desired.

© Adron 9/19/13