Hebrew 13:5-9

5Keep 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.”  6So
we say with confidence,    “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.   What can
man do to me?”   7Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.
Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8Jesus Christ is
the same yesterday and today and forever.   9Do not be carried away by all kinds
of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by
ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them.

MEDITATION
1. Read the passage aloud.  Spend time pondering the connection the writer
is making between obsession with material possessions and the belief that
God will never leave us or let us down.  What do you make of this?  How are
the two ideas related to each other?
2. Take several minutes to explore my life in light of this instruction.  How do I
relate to material things?  Do I often wish I had more?  Do I feel that nothing
can harm me because of what I have?  What fears do I have about God
letting me down?  What would it be like to “be content with what I have”?
Talk with Him about this subject.  Attentively listen for his input.
3. Prayer.  May I keep my life free from the love of money and be content with
what I have, for You have said, “I will never leave you, nor will I forsake you.”
Pause to notice my internal reaction to what I’m saying.  Ask God to change
my reluctance and unwillingness.

Personal Note:  Am I content with what I have today?  During TC, I will host a workshop on money, sex, and power to the teens.  If a person is not content with what he/she has when he/she is young, it is very difficult for that person to be content when he/she gets older.  As I reflect in my life, there was a period when I was materialistically abundant and I was hardly content.  Today, my earnings and my lifestyle is simpler and I am relatively content and at peace.

Philippians 4:10-14

 10I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for
me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.
11I am not saying this because I am in need, for. I have learned to be content
whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what
it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every
situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can
do everything through him who gives me strength. 14Yet it was good of you to
share in my troubles.

Meditation:
1. One of the lessons of spiritual maturity is the secret of living well whatever
our financial means. Paul shares this lesson as he thanks the Philippians
for their financial support. Although he is grateful for their generosity, Paul
wants the church to know that in Christ he can be satisfied with any standard
of living, even in prison.
2. In defining simplicity, Richard Foster writes that it is “an inward reality that
results in an outward lifestyle” (Celebration of Discipline). According to Paul,
what is the inward reality? How close am I to experiencing this in my life?
What can I do to encourage it?

Personal Note:
It would be a great blessing when I can live contently in any circumstances, whether I am rich, in need, being in trouble.  This is the sign of true strength and security.  The inward reality is the peace and joy in Christ.  I am praying and asking God to help me experience His presence and His love.  I am to have courage and live with faith.  I can start by having a thankful attitude in what the LORD has blessed me.