Day 294: Living Content (Psalm 119:73-80, 1 Timothy 6:3-21, Jeremiah 46:1-47:7)
Day 294: Living Content (Psalm 119:73-80, 1 Timothy 6:3-21, Jeremiah 46:1-47:7): Psalm 119:73-80 י Yodh 73 Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. 74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word. 75 I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. 76 May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. 77 Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight. 78 May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts. 79 May those who fear you turn to me, those who understand your statutes. 80 May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees, that I may not be put to shame. Psalm Commentary Hope in God’s word and invest your time in it Time is your most valuable possession. You can make more money but you cannot create more time. How you spend your time is evidence of where your hope lies. If your hope is in God and his word, then you will invest time in them. The psalmist places his hope firmly in God’s word: ‘For I have put my hope in your word’ (v.74b). What does this mean in practice? Spend time seeking to understand God’s w
Psalm 119:73-80
י Yodh
73 Your hands made me and formed me;
give me understanding to learn your commands.
74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
for I have put my hope in your word.
75 I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
78 May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;
but I will meditate on your precepts.
79 May those who fear you turn to me,
those who understand your statutes.
80 May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,
that I may not be put to shame.
Psalm Commentary
Hope in God’s word and invest your time in it
Time is your most valuable possession. You can make more money but you cannot create more time. How you spend your time is evidence of where your hope lies. If your hope is in God and his word, then you will invest time in them.
The psalmist places his hope firmly in God’s word: ‘For I have put my hope in your word’ (v.74b). What does this mean in practice?
Spend time seeking to understand God’s word (vv.73,79), meditate on it (v.78), delight in it (v.77) and learn it off by heart (v.73).
When you are going through difficult times, continue to trust God’s word: ‘Your testing has taught me what’s true and right’ (v.75, MSG). Trust in God’s faithfulness, ‘unfailing love’ (v.76) and ‘compassion’ (v.77).
Spending time with God is the way in which God breathes his wisdom into you (v.73, MSG). He comforts you so that you can live, ‘really live… live whole and holy, soul and body’ (vv.77,80a, MSG), and always walk with your ‘head held high’ (v.80b, MSG).
If you live like this, it will encourage others to do the same: ‘May those who fear you rejoice when they see me’ (v.74a). Likewise, it is encouraging for us to see other people who are hoping in God’s word.
Prayer
Lord, as I put my hope in your word today, may I be an encouragement to others: ‘May those who fear you rejoice when they see me’ (v.74a).
1 Timothy 6:3-21
3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Final Charge to Timothy
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time —God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honour and might forever. Amen.
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.
Grace be with you all.
New Testament Commentary
Hope in God and not in wealth
The apostle Paul begins this passage by warning against those who teach false doctrines – rejecting godly teaching and the ‘sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (v.3). These people have an unhealthy interest in controversies and disputes (v.4).
These false teachers cause ‘constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain’ (v.5).
Paul’s words about wealth in this passage apply to everyone – especially to those of us who live in the West, where we are rich in comparison to so much of the world. Paul writes, ‘Command those who are rich in the present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment’ (v.17).
Don’t be tempted to think that you would be more content if you had more money (provided that you have food and clothing, v.8). Be content with what you have materially: ‘… godliness with contentment is great gain’ (v.6).
Contentment is worth more than all the wealth you could possibly accumulate. People who want to get rich ‘fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction’ (v.9).
Paul is often misquoted as saying, ‘Money is the root of all evil.’ What he actually says is, ‘The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil’ (v.10a). Money can do a lot of good. But the love of money is extremely dangerous. ‘Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after’ (v.10, MSG).
Whether you are very wealthy or have scarcely any money, the danger is the same – to love money. The temptation is there, whether it is to love money you already have, or money you would dearly love to have.
Instead of loving and pursuing money, love and pursue ‘a righteous life – a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy’ (v.11, MSG). Paul urges Timothy to ‘fight the good fight of the faith’ (v.12a). The ‘fight’ starts with our hearts and minds focused on Jesus (vv.13–14).
He does not command them to give all their money away, but not to put their hope in it. If you get your attitude towards money sorted out, it will help sort out almost every other area of your life. Paul gives five ways to sort out your attitude to money (vv.17–18):
Don’t be full of yourself
One of the dangers attached to wealth is arrogance: ‘Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves’ (v.17, MSG).
Don’t put your security in wealth
‘We enter the world penniless and we will leave it penniless’ (v.7, MSG). Wealth provides only a false security. ‘Quit… being so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow’ (v.17, MSG). The real measure of our wealth is how much we would be worth if we lost all our money.
Put God first
Put your hope in God, who richly provides you with everything for your enjoyment (v.17). There is nothing wrong with enjoying the good things of life. God provides all good things for our enjoyment. But recognise that it all comes from him and it all belongs to him.
Do all the good you can
Paul urges the wealthy to ‘do good’ and to ‘be rich in helping others’ (v.18, MSG). Don’t focus on how much money you can make, but how much good you can do. It is possible to be materially rich but spiritually poor. Equally it is possible to be materially poor but ‘rich in good deeds’ (v.18).
Share your resources
John Wesley said, ‘When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart.’ Generosity is the way to break the hold of money in our lives. ‘Be extravagantly generous’ (v.18, MSG).
Everything you own ultimately comes from God. Therefore, be willing to share it with others. Francis Bacon said, ‘Money is like manure. It’s not good unless it is spread around.’
Prayer
Lord, help us not to put our hope in wealth but to be content and to put our hope in you. Help me to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share.
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