Sometimes the Bible is easy to understand, but hard to believe and even harder to obey.
Here’s a good example — Hebrews 13:5 — one of my favorite verses:
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
J.C. Ryle, a 19th century British pastor and Bible teacher, has this to say about the elusive nature of contentment:
“Contentment is one of the rarest graces. Like all precious things, it is most uncommon . . .
Murmuring, dissatisfaction, discontent with what we have— these meet us at every turn. To say with Jacob, “I have enough” (Gen 33:11), seems flatly contrary to the grain of human nature. To say, “I want more,” seems the mother tongue of every child of Adam. Our little ones around our family hearths are daily illustrations of the truth of what I am saying. They learn to ask for “more” much sooner than they learn to be satisfied. They are far more ready to cry for what they want, than to say, “Thank you,” when they have received it.
There are few readers of this very paper, I will venture to say, who do not want something or other different from what they have—something more or something less. What you have does not seem as good as what you have not. If you only had this or that thing granted, you fancy you would be quite happy.”
Would you agree? I do. I have days when I’m discontent with my circumstances.
According to Hebrews 13:5, what is the cure for such dissatisfaction? We are exhorted to focus on one of the most comforting promises found in Scripture (in passages such as Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5 and 1 Chronicles 28:20) – God’s promise to always be with His people.
I find this most intriguing. Of all the things that the author of Hebrews could have said to help us find contentment, he turns to the Bible. Again, I quote Mr. Ryle:
“It is striking to observe what a small foundation the Apostle seems to lay down when he bids us be content. He holds out no promise of earthly good things and temporal rewards. He simply quotes a verse of God’s Word. The Master hath spoken, “He hath said”…
The main point I want to impress on men’s minds is this: we ought to make the texts and promises of the Bible our refuge in time of trouble and the fountain of our soul’s comfort. When St. Paul wanted to enforce a grace and recommend a duty, he quoted a text. When you and I would give a reason for our hope, or when we feel that we need strength and consolation, we must go to our Bibles and try to find out suitable texts. The lawyer uses old cases and decisions when he pleads his cause. “Such a judge has said such a thing; and therefore,” he argues, “it is a settled point.” The soldier on the battlefield takes up certain positions and does certain things; if you ask him why, he will say, “I have such and such orders from my general, and I obey them.”
The true Christian must always use his Bible in like manner. The Bible must be his book of reference and precedents. The Bible must be to him his captain’s orders. If anyone asks him why he thinks as he does, lives as he does, feels as he does, all he has need to reply is, “God has spoken to such an effect: I have my orders, and that is enough.”
Reader, I know not whether I make the point clear; but simple as it seems, it is one of great practical importance. I want you to see the place and office of the Bible, and the unspeakable importance of knowing it well and being acquainted with its contents. I want you to arm yourself with texts and verses of the Bible fastened down in your memory—to read so you may remember and to remember so you may use what you read.
You and I have trouble and sorrow before us. It needs no prophetic eye to see that. Sicknesses, deaths, partings, separations, disappointments are sure to come. What is to sustain us in the days of darkness, which are many? Nothing is so able to do it as texts out of the Bible.
You and I, in all probability, may lie for months on a bed of sickness. Heavy days and weary nights, an aching body, and an enfeebled mind may make life a burden. And what will support us? Nothing is likely to cheer and sustain us so much as verses out of the Bible.
You and I have death to look forward to. There will be friends to be left, home to be given up, the grave to be visited, an unknown world to be entered, and the Last Judgment after all. What will sustain and comfort us when our last moments draw nigh? Nothing, I firmly believe, is so able to help our heart in that solemn hour as texts out of the Bible.
I want men to fill their minds with passages of Scripture while they are well and strong that they may have sure help in the day of need. I want them to be diligent in studying their Bibles and becoming familiar with their contents in order that the grand old Book may stand by them and talk with them when all earthly friends fail…I say to every reader: arm yourself with a thorough knowledge of God’s Word. Read it, and be able to say, “I have hope because it is thus and thus written. I am not afraid because it is thus and thus written.” Happy is that soul who can say with Job, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12).”
Great advice from a man who spent many years studying and teaching the Bible.
The comments above from J.C. Ryle are from the Free Grace Broadcaster, Issue #213, “Contentment.”
Here you’ll find 8 articles on contentment from gifted Bible teachers of the past, including:
What Is Contentment? by William Plumer
Full Contentment in Christ, by Jonathan Edwards
I Will Never Leave Thee, by Arthur Pink
Contentment: A Rare Grace, by J.C. Ryle (the comments I quoted above are from this article. Be sure to read the whole thing!)
You can get a free copy of this gem here:
https://www.chapellibrary.org/book/contfg/contentment
It is available in PDF, Kindle (mobi) and ePub formats.
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