Christian Contentment

Essex Remembrancer
Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave you…
I. EVERY MAN HAS HIS OWN INDIVIDUAL PORTION IN THIS LIFE, ASSIGNED HIM BY GOD.

1. The portion of every man consists of such things as he has: literally, present things.

2. That which each man has, is assigned him by God. Suppose he has a competency for all the comforts of life which he has acquired. In that case, who, but God, gave him capacity of mind, strength of body, business to do, and success in the doing it?

II. WITH THAT PORTION WHICH GOD HAS ALLOTTED HIM, EVERY CHRISTIAN IS REQUIRED TO BE CONTENT.

1. Cautionary remarks.

(1) This command does not forbid a proper regard to the future.

(2) Industrious efforts to obtain more are not forbidden by this command.

(3) The embracing a proper opportunity of improving one's condition is not forbidden by this command.

2. Contentment is —

(1) The opposite of a complaining spirit.

(2) The opposite of an envious temper.

(3) Opposed to anxiety.

(4) Opposed to covetousness.

(5) Opposed to restless schemes and endeavours after more.

3. How it is to be cultivated.

(1) By habitual self-abasement.

(2) By thankfulness. Gratitude gives fitness to our raiment, relish to our food, and sweetness to all.

(3) By the exercise of faith. He hath said, "He, who has all power; he who abideth faithful." He has said that He will never leave nor forsake thee, whosoever thou art, who puttest thy trust in Him; therefore, "be content with such things as ye have."

(4) By "looking unto Jesus." Though the earth and the fulness thereof were His, He assumed the lowest state of poverty.

(5) By habitual prayer and dependence on Christ.

(Essex Remembrancer.)

A Satisfied Spirit

T. De Witt Talmage.
Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave you…
To be content is to be in good humour with our circumstances, not picking a quarrel with our obscurity, or our poverty, or our social position. There are four or five grand reasons why we should be content with such things as we have,

1. The first is the consideration that the poorest of us have all that is indispensable in life. We make a great ado about our hardships, but how little we talk of our blessings.

2. Our happiness is not dependent on outward circumstances. I find Nero growling on a throne. I find Paul singing in a dungeon. I find King Ahab going to bed at noon through melancholy, while near by is Naboth contented in the possession of a vineyard. Haman, prime minister of Persia, frets himself almost to death because a poor Jew will not tip his bat; and Ahithophel, one of the great lawyers of Bible times, through fear of dying, hangs himself. The wealthiest man, forty years ago, in New York, when congratulated over his large estate, replied: "Ah! you don't know how much trouble I have in taking care of it." Byron declared in his last hours that he had never seen more than twelve happy days in all his life. The heart right toward God and man, we are happy. The heart wrong toward God and man, we are unhappy.

3. Another reason why we should come to this spirit inculcated in the text is the fact that all the differences of earthly condition are transitory. The houses you build, the land you culture, the places in which you barter, are soon to go into other hands. However hard you may have it now, if you are a Christian the scene will soon end. Pain, trial, persecution never knock at the door of the grave.

4. Another reason why we should culture this spirit of cheerfulness is the fact that God knows what is best for His creatures. Sometimes His children think that He is hard on them, and that He is not as liberal with them as He might be. But children do not know as much as a father. I can tell you why you are not largely affluent, and why you have not been grandly successful. It is because you cannot stand the temptation. If your path had been smooth, you would have depended upon your own surefootedness; but God roughened that path, so you have to take hold of His hand.

5. Another consideration leading us to the spirit of the text is the assurance that the Lord will provide somehow. Will He who holds the water in the hollow of His hand, allow His children to die of thirst?

6. Again, I remark that the religion of Jesus Christ is the grandest influence to make a man contented. Indemnity against all financial and spiritual harm! It calms the spirit, dwindles the earth into insignificance, and swallows up the soul with the thought of heaven.

(T. De Witt Talmage.)

A Lesson and a Fortune for Christian Men of Business

C. H. Spurgeon.
Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave you…
I. A WORD OF THE LORD IS OF GREAT WEIGHT TO A BELIEVER. See then the argument, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said." That "He hath said " is the hammer which drives the nail home, and clinches it, with every true child of God.

II. THE WORD OF THE LORD MAY HAVE A THOUSAND FULFILMENTS. When man makes a promise, and he keeps it, that promise is done with. You cannot expect a banker to pay a cheque a second time. The merchant who duly meets his bill once has met it once for all, and the document is henceforth of no value. But when God makes a promise He fulfils it, again, and again, and again, to the same man, and to hundreds of other men. The Lord's promise once given is never recalled. He does as good as give forth each inspired promise every moment anew; He is for ever promising that which is once promised in His Word. Now I do not think this particular promise is recorded anywhere in the Old Testament in these exact words. He who is the God of grace, and of immutable love, has virtually said, by His very nature, to those that seek His face, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." All that we know about God says, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." All that we have ever experienced about God, all that our fathers have experienced, goes to show that Jehovah does not forsake His people.

III. THE WORD OF THE LORD IS TO BE APPROPRIATED BY EACH CHILD OF GOD, AND ACTED ON. "He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." I like this singularity of the person. You see Paul had been saying in general, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have"; and then he changes from the plural and writes, "for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." When the Lord speaks in this instance His promise is in the singular. He saith not "you" and "ye," but "thou" and "thee." He speaks to us with that — I do not know what to call it unless I use a French word — sweet tu-toiage, which is the language of endearment, the chosen speech of love. When one man speaks to another, and means him to know that his promise is assuredly and altogether for him, and that he is most lovingly his friend, he cannot do better than use the singular and personal pronoun. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

IV. EACH WORD OF GOD HAS ITS OWN 'USEFULNESS. This particular word, that we have before us, is an illustration of this fact.

1. This particular text is an extraordinarily useful one, for, first, if you notice, it covers all time. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Well, if God will never leave me, He will not leave me now. If He will never leave me, no time is excluded from the word" never." However dark or however bright, it says "never."

2. Our text covers all space, as well as all time. Suppose we emigrate. Suppose we are compelled to go to a backwoods settlement of America or Canada, or away to Australia or New Zealand, this promise will go with us all the way — "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Suppose we have to take to sea, and lead the risky life of a sailor: we will sail with this at the mast-head — "I will never leave thee." But suppose we should get into prison. Does not Jesus visit those who are prisoners for His name's sake? Hath He not said, "I will never leave thee"?

3. And then it covers all circumstances. "I will never leave thee." I may get to be a very childish old body. "I will never leave thee." But my dear children may all be dead, and I may be quite a solitary person. "I will never leave thee." But every friend may turn tail and desert me. "I will "never leave thee." But I may be in such a state that nobody will own me. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

(C. H. Spurgeon.)

Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."

Devotional Scripture

Proverbs 28:15-16 (KJV):
15 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.
16 The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.

Proverbs 28:15-16 (AMP):
15 Like a roaring lion or a ravenous and charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16 A ruler who lacks understanding is (like a wicked one) a great oppressor, but he who hates covetousness and unjust gain shall prolong his days.
Thought for the Day

Like ferocious beasts, oppressors prey upon others. Greedy rulers oppress through harsh laws, exorbitant taxes, and merciless treatment, exploiting the poor for their own selfish means. They are "beastly" in nature. In the Book of Revelation, the Lord describes a "Beast" system that will rule the earth. The root of this system is ruled by the love of money; a snare to everyone on the earth. Many today are already spiritually marked with the "mark of the beast,"which is in part, the love of money (Revelation 13:16-17).

Buying and selling is the system of the world. Many Christians are seeking after what the Gentiles were seeking in Matthew 6:31-32: the things of this world. There is nothing wrong with Christians buying and selling, but we are not buying and selling our souls. We are in the world, but we are not of it (John. 17:14-16). We handle the things of this world, but it is not in our hearts. Even so, the "beast" system has infiltrated the church through the influence of carnal Christians. These worldly Christians are puzzled by other Christians not seeking after money. They have sold out to the "beast" system by allowing its pleasures to consume their time and money. They have money for the things they desire, but they do not have the money for God. It is sad to see preachers manipulating God's people to give in order to support their own exorbitant lifestyles. There are pastors who will not deal with an elder's sin because he has a lot of money and gives to the church. Such pastors are not wholly serving the Lord but the "beast" system. Many ministries will go where they can receive the largest offering, rather than where God might ask them to go. Despite these abuses, we are not excused to quit giving. If we fail to give to worthy causes where there is a genuine need, we fail our Lord.

Those who are part of the true church; the bride of Christ, will love and honor God in all areas of life. Believers with the mind of Christ, walking in the Spirit and doing the works of God do not compromise with the world system. Its ways and desires are not in their hearts; its mark is not on them. Because they know that true riches are eternal, and their greatest treasure is their relationship with God, they do not commit spiritual adultery by loving the things of this world, or having any friendship with it (1 John 2:15;James 4:4). They are marked with the love of God upon their minds and hearts. They are able to lay everything down, leaving all behind if necessary, in obedience to God. They worship and remain faithful to the true and living Almighty God. They reflect the character of Christ, not that of a ravaging beast that will leave its mark on them.
Prayer Devotional for the Day

Dear heavenly Father, I am grateful for Your bountiful provision in every area of my life. Lord, I do not want to cling to the things of this world and lean upon them for my security. May I always know that my security and blessings come from You, and You alone; no matter what source or channel You have chosen to bless me through. Lord, I am grateful for my blessings, but I never want to put them above You. Deliver me from the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life and the love of money. May I always desire the true riches of Your kingdom above any earthly treasures. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Death because of disobedience, Life through Christ

The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’

“Cursed is the ground because of you;

through painful toil you will eat food from it

all the days of your life.

18It will produce thorns and thistles for you,

and you will eat the plants of the field.

19By the sweat of your brow

you will eat your food

until you return to the ground,

since from it you were taken;

for dust you are

and to dust you will return.”

He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,a putting them in chains of darknessb to be held for judgment; 5if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the fleshc and despise authority.

Warnings From Israel’s History
1For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

6Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”a 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9We should not test Christ,b as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13No temptationc has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be temptedd beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,e he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.


And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

Life Through the Spirit

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set youa free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,b God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.c And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

9You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives lifed because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because ofe his Spirit who lives in you.

12Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.f And by him we cry, “Abba,g Father.” 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

God shows no partiality

The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

St Francis of Assisi

While most people today are familiar with the name Francis of Assisi and can identify statues of him in a garden, few know why this small medieval man is so famous or how he spread revival across Europe.

Radical Conversion
Born in 1181/1182 to a wealthy cloth merchant, Pietro Bernardone, and his wife Pica in the town of Assisi, high in the Umbrian hills of central Italy, Francis grew up in privilege. A spoiled young man, he led an extravagant lifestyle, throwing expensive parties for his friends and dressing in the finest silk fashions brought back from France by his father.

Desiring to add knighthood to his station in the world, Francis pursued the glory of battle when he was around twenty. The military forces of Assisi, however, were captured, and the glamour of war quickly faded for Francis as he lay sick for a year in a Perugian jail. Although he began to consider spiritual things during his imprisonment, Francis returned to a life of partying upon his release.

In 1205 he set out again to gain fame by fighting against the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor. But God had different plans for the rich young man. Encamped at Spoleto the night before battle, Francis had a dream in which the Lord spoke to him. He turned back from combat, and soon began to follow Christ.

“By their fruit you will recognize them,” declared Jesus in Matthew 7:16. To answer the question whether Francis had genuine encounter with Christ, we need to observe how he produced “fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt 3:8). Repentance is a radical change of mind. It implies turning around 180 degrees and moving in the opposite direction. That is precisely what Francis did.

Renouncing a life of wasteful living, Francis began to give away his clothes and possessions to the poor. Rather than donning the latest silk styles, he took the humble brown robe of the peasant for the remainder of his days. Perhaps most revealing is that instead of partying all night, Francis pulled apart to spend hours with the Lord in prayer.

In addition, Francis began to love the very people who most repulsed him before he met Christ. Lepers were the lowest people in society. Consigned to reside in leper camps in the marshy areas below Assisi, they were the walking dead as their bodies and faces slowly rotted away. Francis—the young man caught up with looks and fashion—had always been revolted by the very sight of them. One day after his encounter with the Lord, however, he was riding his horse in the fields and ran across a leper. Dismounting, Francis had compassion on the man and gave his money to him. More than that, Francis saw Christ in this broken man. As Jesus asserted, “to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine . . . you did it to Me” (Matt 25:40, NAS). Francis reached out to the leper and kissed him.


Call to Ministry
Savoring time with God, Francis often stole away to the small chapel of San Damiano, a crumbling structure about a kilometer below Assisi. Here the young believer dedicated days to solitude with the Lord. At one point Christ spoke to him, “Francis, go and repair my house, which, as you see, is falling into ruin.” Taking Jesus’ words literally, Francis began to restore the dilapidated building.

Needing construction materials, Francis did what he had always done—he dipped into his family’s money. His father had never objected to the expensive parties he threw, so Francis assumed that he would not mind this donation to the church. Taking an expensive bolt of cloth, the zealous young man rode to the nearby market at Foligno where he sold both the cloth and the horse. Returning with a sack of gold coins, Francis presented the funds to the priest at San Damiano to buy building materials. Sensing that something was wrong, however, the priest refused the gift.

When Pietro found out what had happened, he was so enraged that he literally imprisoned Francis in their home. During Pietro’s next business trip, though, Francis’ mother released her son who went right back to his building project. Going from house to house in Assisi, he raised the necessary supplies to repair San Damiano.

Upon returning home, Pietro was infuriated by Francis’ shameless begging. Pietro wanted to put his son on trial. Because Francis was serving the church, however, the hearing went before the bishop. Recognizing that he needed to make a complete break from his family’s money, Francis made a radical decision. In a powerful gesture, the young man dropped all of his clothes at this father’s feet and stepped away from the life of comfort he had always known. Throwing his robe around Francis, the bishop symbolically declared that he was officially under the auspices of the church.


Itinerant Preachers
Returning to the reconstruction of San Damiano, Francis pursued a life of prayer and hard work. Soon several men joined him. Many of the first followers, like Bernard of Quintavalle, came from wealthy patrician and noble families. Laying aside their fortunes, distributing the money to the poor, and taking up the simple life of following Christ, they called themselves the Friars Minor—Little Brothers. Others came from all strata of society to become part of this emergent Christian community.


After Francis and his fellow brothers completed the refurbishment of San Damiano, they discovered that the Lord had a much larger restoration project in mind—the reformation of the whole Church in Europe! In great need of spiritual renewal, medieval Christendom was filled with compromise. In many churches people heard Scripture read only in Latin, which they did not understand, and they seldom received a sermon. Clergy were known for immoral living, and the ecclesial hierarchy pursued wealth and power. In the midst of the Church’s great prosperity, the poor went hungry and the sick had no one to care for them.

Although Francis loved solitude with the Lord, he sensed a calling to something more. One day Francis and two of the brothers sought the Lord for direction regarding their growing community. The Lord answered them in a clear and dramatic way. Three times they opened the Gospels and read the passage that lay before them: “Jesus said, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me’” (Matt 19:21). “He told them, ‘Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic’” (Luke 9:3). “Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’” (Luke 9:23).

With that, Francis and his fellow disciples set off to the various towns across Italy. Traveling two-by-two they preached the Gospel to people in the common language, inviting them into a personal relationship with Christ. Seeking to follow Jesus’ instructions literally, they took no extra clothes or food with them on the way. They received what provisions people donated to them, often giving most of it to the poor and infirm. They slept in homes or barns that were offered for their accommodations—else they spent the night under the stars.

Movement Explodes
In 1209 Francis and his dozen coworkers went to Rome to receive approval for their ministry. After dismissing the ragged group of brown-robed preachers without even speaking to them, Pope Innocent III had a dream. That night he saw the cathedral of Rome beginning to crumble. Suddenly it was upheld by one of these peasant-looking men in brown robes. Calling Francis and his companions to himself the next day, Innocent gave approval to their ministry.

Revival fires spread rapidly across Italy as the Little Brothers declared the Gospel and invited people into a relationship with Jesus. Lepers were cared for and the poor were fed. Everywhere people began to see the love of Jesus lived out in the ministry of Francis and his colleagues.

Others enlisted, and soon hundreds of Franciscans traversed the countryside. In 1217—after just eight years—no less than 5000 men had joined their numbers as itinerant preachers! Assembling as a whole group that year, the Friars Minor encouraged each other in the Lord and laid plans for ministry across Europe. Over the following decades these traveling evangelists led untold numbers into vital faith in Christ.


From article:
http://www1.cbn.com/churchandministry/the-st.-francis-revival

The Lord is my healer, The Lord is my shield, The Lord is my strength

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. Prov 3:7-8

The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.
Isa 58:11

A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. Prov 17:22

My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Prov 4:20-23

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. Exo 20:12

You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.
Deut 5:33

"'Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:31

Someone may say to you, "Let's ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do." But shouldn't people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Look to God's instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. Isa 8:19-20

The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors. They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes, and they made a huge fire in his honor. 2 Cor 16:11-14

Jehoram King of Judah
4When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father’s kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel. 5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 6He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 7Nevertheless, because of the covenant the Lord had made with David, the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David. He had promised to maintain a lamp for him and his descendants forever.

8In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king. 9So Jehoram went there with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night. 10To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah.

Libnah revolted at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the Lord, the God of his ancestors. 11He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.

12Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said:

“This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah. 13But you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your own family, men who were better than you. 14So now the Lord is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. 15You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.’ ”

16The Lord aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs who lived near the Cushites. 17They attacked Judah, invaded it and carried off all the goods found in the king’s palace, together with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah,b the youngest.

18After all this, the Lord afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. 19In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, he died in great pain. His people made no funeral fire in his honor, as they had for his predecessors.

20Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
2 Chron 21:4-20

I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.
1 Cor 2:5

Reminder

Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."

Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.

people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.