A Contented People
Good day to each of you reading this lesson on a contented people. Before we begin this lesson, let’s add a bit of humor:
At the end of the age when all the believers were standing in line waiting to get into heaven, the angel Gabriel appeared and said, “I want all the men to form two lines. One line will be for the men who were the true heads of their households. The other will be for the men who were dominated by their wives.”
Gabriel continued, “And now we need all of the women to report to Mary and Martha on the other side of the gate.”
The women left while the men hurriedly formed two lines. The line of men who were dominated by their wives was seemingly unending. The line of men who were the true head of their household had just one man standing in it. Gabriel said to the first line, “You men ought to be ashamed of yourselves. You were appointed to be the heads of your households and you have not fulfilled your purpose. Of all of you, there is only one man who obeyed.”
Then Gabriel turned to the lone man and asked, “How did you come to be in this line?” The man sheepishly replied, “My wife told me to stand here.”
After starting a new diet, I altered my drive to work to avoid passing my favorite bakery. I accidentally drove by the bakery this morning and as I approached, there in the window were a host of chocolates, donuts, and cheesecakes. I felt this was no accident, so I prayed … “Lord, it’s up to You. If You want me to have any of those delicious goodies, create a parking place for me directly in front of the bakery.”
And sure enough, on the eighth time around the block, there it was! God is so good!
Q: What kind of car did the Apostles drive? A: A Honda, because in the book of Acts it says, “the Apostles were all in one Accord.”
Two well-worn bills arrived at the Federal Reserve Bank to be retired – a $100 and a $1. As they traveled down the conveyor belt, they struck up a conversation. The hundred reminisced about the interesting life he had, traveling all over the country. “I’ve been to the finest restaurants, Broadway shows, Las Vegas, and amusement parks,” he said. “I even want on a Caribbean cruise once. Where have you been?” “Oh,” said the one-dollar bill, “I’ve been to a Methodist church, an Episcopal church, a Baptist church, and a Lutheran church.” “What’s a church?” asked the hundred.
As I was reading my daily lesson, I found the following verses of great interest in Psalms 144:12-15. (Smith & Godspeed) Our sons are like plants grown large in their youth; Our daughters are like cornices carved after the fashion of a place. Our garners are filled to overflowing, garners of all sorts; Our flocks increase by thousands and tens of thousands in our fields. Our oxen are heavily laden. There is no riot and no alarm, And no outcry in our streets, How happy the people that are in such a state! How happy the people whose God is the Lord!
Families in our lands are being attacked constantly from Satan and his band of evil for Satan knows the hourglass is quickly filling and He will be placed in the pit. In the meantime, Satan is doing all He can to destroy the family. Satan, the serpent knows every word in this mighty book and the “Master Deceiver” is here to destroy the family uprooting the youth.
I call your attention to Paul Harvey, an American Icon, and the rest of the story along with PAUL HARVEY’S ‘IF I WERE THE DEVIL’ TRANSCRIPT read in 1965. I am quoting Mr. Harvey on our sons and daughters: “To the young, I would whisper that ‘The Bible is a myth.’ I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what’s bad is good, and what’s good is ‘square.’ With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: ‘Do as you please.’
Please tell me how our children can grow in a society where right is wrong and wrong is right especially if we have those teaching them garbage. Again, I will use Mr. Harvey to illustrate my point. If I were the devil I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions — just let those run wild, until before you knew it, you’d have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.
Let us turn to you and I and the thought of us being a contented people. Really, are we no different than our Israelite brethren who wandered through the wilderness for 40 years crying out for food. Our brethren cried to the point of near revolt if they did not get their way.
As I remember, the Israelites wanted to return to Egypt on more than one occasion because they thought they would perish in the wilderness. As Mr. Harvey says, I (Satan) would caution against extremes and hard work, in Patriotism, in moral conduct.
Our Israelite family members made a golden calf to worship and carry on immorally while Moses went to meet God. Are we no different? Here again, Mr. Harvey says “And then I’d (Satan)get organized. I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting, so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa. I’d pedal narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.
Crime, riots, prisons overflowing, police treated as “the bad cop” and judges letting the criminal loose the same day he is put in jail. What has happened to our society? “Within a decade I’d have prisons overflowing, I’d have judges promoting pornography — soon I could evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress per Mr. Harvey.
Our people are in such a state that we are looking for answers to make a safer country and a country that does not worry about locking its doors at night and can safely walk down the street without fear and trembling. Where is the country that was Bible believing, Ten Commandment driven, prayer motivated in all forms of one’s life and the belief that If you love Me, keep my commands. In other words, if I were the devil I’d just keep right on doing on what he’s doing. Paul Harvey, good day.
But wait, hear the good news of a contented people, How happy the people whose God is the Lord!
Two sides of the story with a simple choice to be made and to be content in this day. Turbulent, yes, topsy-turvy, yes and yet we have been warned.
Where? Turn to Luke 17:26-31 (FF) And, as it happened in the time of Noah, even so will it also be in the period of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking, they were marrying, they were betrothed, until the day arrived for Noah to enter the Ark; then the Deluge came, and destroyed them all. So likewise was it in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but when the day came for Lot to depart from Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky, and destroyed them all. So will it be upon the day in which the Son of Man is revealed.
Simply put, Place yourself under the wings of the Mighty God and be proud to say that you are one of his people whose God is the Lord!
May God Bless You in all that you say and do and You Bless God by following his Commandments, Statutes and Laws.
