Contentment

English Standard Version

1 Timothy 6:6 Read This Chapter

Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,

English Standard Version

Philippians 4:11

Read This Chapter

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

Dear Lord in Heaven, please help me to see all of Your blessings in my life and to be content. I have so much that You have blessed me with and yet I still find myself desiring more. You have taken care of all of my needs (and the needs of my family) and then heaped blessings on top of that. Thank you so much! And, please forgive me for always searching and wanting more. Lord, help me to learn contentment. In Jesus blessed name I pray, Amen.

Choose Your Path

by Steve Thoms All Posters.com

There are times in our lives when when have to sit down and reevaluate our goals, plans, and dreams. We need to do this every now and then because we can get so caught up with the busy-ness and cares of this world that we can get OFF of our chosen path.

Then there are times that we get so comfortable with where we are (spiritually speaking) that we don't notice that we've become stunted in growth. We're just comfortable and happy so we just go along with our days nicely.

It's a good idea to take a look at things in our life and hold them up to God's standards. His standards are the ones that count in the end so we should always judge what we do by His way of thinking.

One good rule to follow is to ask ourselves if I'm following God's will or am I following the crowd {the world}.

Jesus says:

Matthew 7:13-14 Read This Chapter
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

If "everyone" is doing it then we really should take a good look to see if "it" measures up to God's standards. The Bible says that the gate is narrow and the way is hard and few find it....

However, MANY enter the path that leads to destruction.

Fellow Christian, let's always take the path less traveled. We may be looked at as odd and different; but, thats good. We want to be different because we are on a different path. The way is hard but the end is worth it!

Who's Child am I?

Julia Gathering Roses

Daniel Ridgway Knight

Rehs Gallery

*Note: running your cursor over some of the olive green words will give you the definition of that word. If you click on the word a window will open to the dictionary used for this post.

English Standard Version
1 John 3 :10 Read This Chapter

By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

My life proves again to whom I belong. A righteous life is evidence that I'm a child of God: however, if I do not "practice righteousness" I'm not a child of God but a child of the devil. On top of that if I do not love my brother (fellow Christians) then I'm not God's child. {Love is very important too. I'm going to devote a whole study to it very soon. For now I'm going to concentrate on "practicing righteousness".}

Righteousness is not a word that is used too frequently today. But, in light of the scripture above I think a good study of the word is necessary. According to 1913 Webster's Dictionary righteousness is: The quality or state of being righteous; holiness; purity; uprightness; rectitude.

Righteous, holiness, purity...

God says if my life does not show evidence of these qualities (righteousness) then I'm not His child... but, the devil's child!

That's harsh.

I wholeheartedly desire and long to be a child of God. So, I want to learn everything that I can about righteousness.

Look up a verse or two in the same chapter:

English Standard Version

1 John 3:7-9

Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is
righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil,
for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God
appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.

Practice makes perfect!

I must choose to make "righteous" decisions- the way I live my life must reflect a pure and holy person who belongs to God. If I choose to practice living a sinful life; well, that makes me unrighteous....

English Standard Version

1 Corinthians 6 Read This Chapter

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

My Saviour...my LORD.

"A Child's Prayer" by Jay Bryant Ward

Thank you God for sending your precious Son to this earth to die for my sins. I don't want to sin. Ever! I know I can't be perfect, but I want to to practice righteousness. I want my life to be an evidence that I belong to You. I am Your child. And, when I fall... thank you for washing me, sanctifying me, and justifying me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by Your Spirit. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

I'm owned!

"Under His Wing" by Jay Bryant
The Lord's Art.com

The scripture that I'm studying today is Colossians 1:10. I have links to CrossWalk.com so that you can look at the verse in their parallel Bible and compare different Bible versions. There are also Greek and Hebrew lexicons for further study.

Col. 1:10

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; The King James Version (Authorized)

"Walk worthy of the Lord" . Is my walk - my life - worthy of the LORD? This passages tells me that I should live my life (walk) in a way that is worthy of the LORD and is pleasing to HIM.

The command to walk worthy of the LORD is also stated in 1 Thes. 2:12.

Now, think about worthy. How does one live his life in a way that is worthy of the LORD?

The God's Word version translates Col. 1:10 this way: "We ask this so that you will live the kind of lives that prove you belong to the Lord. Then you will want to please him in every way as you grow in producing every kind of good work by this knowledge about God. " (hightlights are mine)

Living a life that is worthy of the LORD is to live in a way that proves we belong to HIM. And, if we are truly Christians we do want to live our lives as proof that we belong to Him. We were bought with a price:

1 Corinthians 6 Read This Chapter
6:20
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
The King James Version (Authorized)

and here:

1 Corinthians 7 Read This Chapter
7:23
Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

KJV

HE purchased us with HIS blood....

The King James Version (Authorized)
Acts 20:28 Read This Chapter

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

KJV

Our precious LORD purchased us with his own blood and that means we (believers) belong to HIM. So, now we "walk worthy of the LORD" because this pleases HIM. The good works that we do as we increase in knowledge are pleasing to Him.

He paid for my sins.

I want to be worthy...

He purchased me.

I want to please him...

I belong to HIM.

I want to learn more about Him (increasing my knowledge)

Prayer

Taking a look at the verse right before our main verse of study we find that this is a trait that is prayed for.

The King James Version (Authorized)
Colossians 1:9 & 10 Read This Chapter

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heavenly Father, Please fill me with knowledge of YOUR will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding so that I may walk (live) worthy of YOU; and, as my knowledge increase let the fruit of my every good work please YOU. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Let us never cease to pray!