The Gain of Godliness

Saturday, October 26, 2024

Good morning, Lord

Father in Heaven, I seek You first-Your peace-Your knowledge and discernment. I take up my cross and follow...In Jesus' name...

Verse of the Day:  2 Timothy 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Memory verse: Psalm 42:2(New American Bible )

"My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I enter and see the face of God?"

Today's reading:  Jeremiah 12-14 2 Timothy 1

The Gain of Godliness

  In Paul's last chapter in his first letter to Timothy, he makes a statement that should jump off the page at all of us.

"6 But godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6

In Luke 24, Jesus walked with two men who were kept, divinely,  from recognizing Him and He told them of how the Old testament writers all wrote of Him and how He would come and suffer and die and rise from the dead. He finally went home with them after a seven mile walk. That's how far Jerusalem is from Emmaus. They were finally allowed to see who Jesus was and He vanished leaving them stunned and excited.

Our lives are but a mere seven mile walk. Contentment is a divine possibility, a promise if you will, on this walk but we have to look at what Jesus has done for each of us at each step of our lives.

I believe we all have an 'old testament' period before Christ. Some may have been short as you came to Jesus as a child and have lived a somewhat faithful life.

Some came to Jesus in their teens or twenties and lived out that original excitement and then denied Jesus for a while as Peter did and found your way back as the prodigal to a Heavenly Father who celebrated over you and restored you.

Many are like Paul. Maybe not struck blind by the Lord but struck and stopped dead in your tracks by His love, mercy, grace, and truth and entered His life as an adult.

Whatever is your case, your 'old testament' had Jesus spread all the way through it. We must see this truth. During your lost life, whether much or little sin, you had the divine eye of Jesus on you. He loved you through it all and had mercy on you every minute knowing in His mind that He could use it all to your good one day. (Romans 8:28)

If you were oppressed, Jesus was there. He was oppressed and conquered so you could be more than a conqueror.(Romans 8:37)

If you were abused as a child, Jesus was there knowing that one day you would be in His care and that you could influence so many with your strength and wisdom.

Were you denied justice? Jesus has been through that and has for you the way he psychologically handled it and shares with you the power of the resurrection and all that victory means.

Broken hearted? Grieved over losing loved ones? Tired? Hungry? Forsaken....Jesus traveled all those paths with you.

 The great gain of Godliness-where is it in your life? The contentment of Godliness, where is it? You are still on your seven mile journey home. Jesus still walks with you but now you are washed in His blood and the eyes and ears of your soul belong to Him. Go into His presence and tell Him you want to hear all He has for you. Humbly approach Him as His child and tell him you are sorry for ignoring all His wisdom. Contentment is in the presence of our God. When you are clean before Him, you're are Godly. Don't argue with Him about, accept His mercy and forgiveness and be free.

Seven miles takes a lifetime to walk-but it leads home.

...because He loves us....

Father in Heaven,

Yes, I have been wrong to wallow in past sorrow. Show me how You intend for Your good in all of it to be used for Your kingdom.

Merciful and gracious God of patience and peace...

In the name of Jesus,

Amen