Vacationing in Michigan where many of Nelson’s family members live, he decided to skip church on this Sunday, knowing he would be pulled into lots of joyful conversations welcoming him—but knowing it would deplete his few physical resources.
He had church alone, listening to a sermon on contentment.
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September 4, 2022
We made it to Michigan without a problem yesterday. The [Honda] Pilot runs great and proves to be dependable with time. Thank you Lord for leading me to that car. I pray the triplex would prove to be the same, that you would have hidden blessings in that old place.
I’m sitting at the kitchen table at Drew and Jo’s place. They were generous enough to let us all stay here, as Mom’s place is pretty full. Everyone is moving to Michigan is seems.
The nights are long as I get up every 2 hours to pee and relieve my neck pain that increases the longer I stay still. It’s Sunday, and Annso and the gang will go to the Tabernacle here with Mom. It’s nice Annso wants to go back there. Bethany is a special place, and she understands that.
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
Patient in affliction. If he means “affliction” in general, I can apply this verse to my own time with Cancer. If he means only persecution because of the gospel, then not as much, but I’ll take it.
We are making our way in Rochester [MN], and it’s slow and hard. We seek God all the time though, which I want to make sure we keep doing. Lord, I pray for contentment with what we have, with our little life in Rochester. I’d rather be where you call me than a millionaire in any other place.
Later:
Contentment is something I felt was good to focus on this morning, being here at Drew’s place alone, while the others are at church. I don’t want to get mobbed and worn out too early.
The 4 part sermon series by Colin Smith seems like a good place to start. Funny, this was preached in 2016 before Covid, and he says that anger, frustration, and anxiety dominated life in the modern city life in Chicago, hence his choice for the topic of contentment. How much more relevant is that now today, than it was then?
Paul “learned” the secret of being content, meaning it didn’t come easy. Colin starts that sermon by knowing there is a need in my life—something wrong in my life—and it matters that I change it. He uses that as the topic for part 1.
Is this an area I need to change? If so, am I willing to work on changing it? And if so, how do I go about doing this? Peace, satisfaction and trust: The opposite of anger, frustration, and anxiety.
“See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.” (Jude 15&16)
“Grumblers and faultfinders.” These are the ones God is coming to judge and convict. They sin with their mouths. They are always frustrated and never satisfied. Pride, rebellion, and unbelief. These are the sins of hell itself. These are the sins that say, “I deserve better from God than what I got.”
What do I deserve?
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(…to be continued)
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6)