Contentment, a Great Gain

As a denomination, we may again commemorate Thanksgiving Day. This is being done in a difficult time. When we see the world around us, then fear may well fill our hearts. It is a world making itself ready for the judgments of a great and holy God. When we look among ourselves as people of the Netherlands Reformed denomination, then fear may well fill our hearts. Is the Lord leaving us? This is a question we must ask ourselves when we see a leaving and forsaking of the former ways, when we must experience that the Lord holds His hand so still among us, and when we miss so much the breaking of the heart and bowing before God. It is a question we must ask ourselves when we must say that the Lord holds His hand so still in the life of His dear children, and we miss the growth in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why is all this being written as we celebrate Thanksgiving Day? It is to humble us before the Lord, knowing that there is every reason to acknowledge the Lord every day, but especially on Thanksgiving Day. He has not dealt with us according to what we rightly deserve. Is that not reason to humble ourselves and to give thanks unto the Lord? Paul says, “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” Paul here speaks of true contentment, meaning to be satisfied. To be satisfied is not found so much anymore. It is not found in the world, and not much in the church, either. Why is this? It is because godliness is missing. For contentment accompanied by godliness is great gain. Godliness means that one is filled with God, with Christ, with His mercy, grace, and salvation. No, then we do not mean that God's people are a perfect people, but they say, “We love Him because He first loved us. And now, by God's grace, we may be full of the Holy Ghost.”

The exact opposite of this is to be godless. One who is godless has nothing of the Lord, of Jesus, or of His mercy, but is full of the world, sin, and unrighteousness. The godless can miss God and are able to find all their life in the world. By nature we all miss God and find all our life here below. One may find it in the possessions of the world, another in the pleasures of the world, the next in a pious, religious walk clothed with many fine words. But what they miss in their life is the Lord's taking possession of the heart.

Yet there are those who may know true godliness. That is because the Lord makes a godly one from a godless one. How? Their eyes are opened, and they come to see that they have lost God. They become unhappy, miserable people who have no rest, and as missing ones they wander over this world. What a wonder when the Lord brings them to the knowledge that there is a Way given! They then come to see that there is a way outside of self, in the precious blood of the Mediator. Oh, here they may experience godliness wrought from heaven in their heart. This is so wonderfully great, and it gives them hope by which they may look above. It gives them faith to say, “Lord, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

Would you not say the one made godly in this way is rich? It is of such that the Lord says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” They are the ones who sing, sometimes tremblingly, “This God is our God. He has sought me, He has found me, and He has delivered me.”

How utterly poor is the man who has all his treasures here below, but who is not rich in God, who travels life's pathway to the all-decisive, never-ending eternity and has no God for his soul. They are the ones who have nothing but what the world affords, and they soon will lose everything. What a heart - moving admonishment we hear from the mouth of the apostle Paul! “For we have brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we will carry nothing out.” Each of us must acknowledge this, yet how little do we understand this truth. This may be seen in the way we spend the short span of time the Lord has allotted to each of us here upon this earth. When we are young, time is spent as if there will never come an end, seeking to indulge in all the pleasures of the world. When we are middleaged, we struggle to obtain as much of the goods of this world as we may possibly gather together. No, we do not want to see that all these things carry a sign on which is written, “Only for a time.” The Lord says it is certain that you will leave all behind. And if we may become old, how we cling to the things we must soon leave behind.

Are there warnings? Yes, the Lord is good and longsuffering. We see those who struggle with incurable diseases; we hear of sudden deaths. With these warnings the Lord is saying, “Remember, you do not have a continuing city here below. Make haste for your life's sake.” Yes, death is coming, and with all that we have of the world, we cannot meet God. To meet the Lord, we need something from heaven wrought in our heart.

Oh, what a great gain then is godliness! These are spiritual riches, and death cannot take them away. They may go with us. The closer we come to death, the greater their value becomes. No, this does not mean that those people can always die. Here below the days of darkness are many, and the more that light from above shines in the darkness of the heart, the deeper they may experience what an eternal wonder it will be if they may be among those saved by grace. But when they may see something of His love and faithfulness, they may say, “He will never leave me.” Then the riches of His grace become so great that all the things of the world lose their value. They understand Paul when he says, “And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.” Here Paul shows us the borderline where our desires should stop. When we may have food and raiment, meaning those things we need in this life to pass through this life, when we may receive all this, we should be content. We may ask for them, and if they may be given to us, they are an undeserved blessing. The Lord has promised that His church will always have these blessings, which flow out of what Jesus has obtained for them. He hungered and thirsted, He had no place where to lay His head, He hung upon a cursed cross for us. And when the godly may receive food and raiment out of those pierced hands, then they may therewith be content. They do not need anything else, because then with an eye of faith they may look to Him. Then the desires are not for the things of the world, but for the things of eternity.

Dear friends, how good the Lord has been for us as a people who may commemorate Thanksgiving Day! Not one of us must ask, “What shall I eat? Wherewith shall I clothe myself?” The Lord has abundantly given. Could this hard heart be broken, could we really end in giving thanks to a merciful provider! But how are you receiving these gifts? How poor the man whose life is filled with all the things of the world, and who has no God for his soul. Soon he will lose everything and descend into the place where he can never be made godly anymore.

How blessed are the godly! The Lord knows them, the Lord cares for them, the Lord is their portion, and their future lies above. Here below there are times when they may experience something of, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”

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