The Heaton File

The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad! (Psalm 97:1)

He Reigns

Three words summarize all that man needs to know: “The Lord reigns.” The world is held together by the word of God. It seems incredible to grasp, but the Lord knows how much water there is on the planet and the weight of dust contained within its sphere. If the Lord desired, He could tell how many mountains there are on land and in the sea and how much they weigh. No animal in all the earth stirs without the notice of the Lord. Man cannot plum the ocean’s depths because it is too deep. To God, the Mariana Trench is a puddle, and Mount Everest is a small bump. Every star in the universe has a name given to it by God. He knows where every constellation, galaxy, star, planet, meteor, and microscopic space dust is located. Man cannot fathom the expanse of the universe, but the Lord God holds it in His hand. He reigns, and the earth should rejoice.

The earth’s population is over eight billion souls, and God knows every name. He knows what each person is thinking, where they are in the world, when they were born, and everything done in the dark. No one is lost before the eyes of the Lord. The Tomb of the Unknown is known to God. People have disappeared without a trace, but God knows where each one is. His knowledge of humanity is unlimited. It increases every year with a new generation. The Lord can tell the life story of Adam to every detail of 930 years, and He can describe the life story of every human being since then. He reigns, and the earth should rejoice.

In the beginning, God created light and separated it from the darkness. Nothing is hidden from God because the darkness is light to His eyes. Men can hide things from other men, but man can conceal nothing from God. In the physical world, the eyes of the Lord know everything a person has done and where they have been. From a mental part of life, the Lord hears all the thoughts of the human heart from the time a child is born until the death of his death. He knows what is said, the intent of the heart, and the spirit of a man, whether good or evil. Nothing is hidden from the piercing examination of the Lord God. He reigns, and the earth should rejoice.

A man is born of a woman, lives a certain number of years, and dies. He is a mortal creature that begins a journey to death in birth. His limitations are clearly defined. There are places the human body cannot go and endure. In the early world, men lived for nearly a thousand years and still died. With all the advances of science, life cannot be extended beyond just over 100 years for a few. Man cannot stop death, and he cannot change the aging process. Man has a beginning and an end when it comes to the mortal flesh. God has no beginning and has no end. He created man, which gives man a beginning, and through this creation, makes man an eternal creature without end. The mortal flesh will die, but the inward man will never cease to exist. Men refuse to accept that they are immortal and there is life after death. God existed before man was created. He reigns, and the earth should rejoice.

Understanding God’s nature helps man’s heart see clearly who and what he is. Man is a creature created for the glory of God. There is no comparison between God and man. What man knows is not even a thimble of microscopic dust compared to the vast wisdom of an eternal God. To know that God reigns should bring great joy to the hearts of those who see the vastness of God’s power, authority, and glory and yet His delight to invite His creation to dwell with Him. Let all the earth rejoice in the knowledge that God reigns. His rule remained constant before the worlds were formed. The rule of God will remain after the world is destroyed. We serve an awesome God. He reigns, and all the earth should rejoice.

A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. (Psalm 100)

Learning To Be Thankful

There are many things to be thankful for. The trouble with the human heart is to know who to be thankful for and for what to be thankful. Thanksgiving must be more than a holiday in November. If a man sees nothing to acknowledge as necessary to be thankful for, he will believe he exists by his own wisdom and power. The failure of human wisdom is to deny a higher power. Philosophy would have a man believe he is his own Creator, and his destiny is completely within his power. Nothing is further from the truth because man exists only through the will of the Creator. Everything in the world is held together by the word of God. When a man comes to that recognition, he will immediately bow in worship and thanksgiving.

The reason for a man to rejoice is that he knows that the Lord, He is God. There is nothing more fundamental for the creation to acknowledge he has a Creator, Maker, Provider, and Protector. At best, man is like the sheep who depend upon the shepherd for everything. Sheep are creatures who cannot care for themselves and cannot defend themselves against danger. They completely and utterly depend upon the shepherd to care for and protect them. There is no allusion to why God always refers to mankind as sheep of a pasture. Man needs God in everything.

When the Sun rises in the east, it is by the will of God. The universe is in perfect union and design because God created it for His glory. Everything in the world is suited for life on earth and the blessings of humanity. God gave Adam and Eve dominion over the animals and the world to show His power and glory. When a man knows the Lord is God, he makes a joyful shout to the glory of God. His spirit is filled with gladness and thanksgiving. The heart of man wants to worship his Creator and give Him thanks as he ponders the depths of the oceans, the heights of the mountains, and the complexities of a marvelous world created by God.

The Lord is good. One of the most important realizations a man can have is the reality of the goodness of God. Reading the word of God, the heart realizes how great the mercy of God is toward an undeserving creature. This message of truth and mercy endures through every generation because truth is older than error, and the word of God endures to all generations. What man learns today about God is not new. The same message of hope has filled the hearts of the faithful in every generation. Knowing what God did in sending His only begotten Son heightens the spirit of thanksgiving for a man to know he could not save himself apart from the mercy of God. God is good and shows His goodness in Jesus Christ.

Make a joyful shout to the Lord for the eternal goodness of divine grace. The immediate response to knowing what God has done is worship, praise, honor, and glory. A desire to stand before the Lord with singing is a response of the heart filled with thanksgiving. People of God are people who live every day with a thankful heart. They know what God has done, are thankful to Him, and bless His name. The Lord is good. Be thankful.

Then Job answered and said: “I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all! Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer? I also could speak as you do, if your soul were in my soul’s place. I could heap up words against you, and shake my head at you; but I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief. (Job 16:1-5)

The Sound Of Silence

There is no greater story of suffering than the man Job, who suffered loss at the highest level in less than 24 hours. The Sabeans raided his flocks and killed the servants. Fire from heaven fell upon the sheep and servants, killing them. The Chaldeans raided the camels, took them away, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword. And then the news came to Job and his wife their seven sons and three daughters were killed in a storm that destroyed the house they were in. Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, fell to the ground, and worshipped. He proclaimed in his loss that he had come into the world with nothing, and he would return with the same.

The life of Job would take another tragic turn when painful boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head consumed him. Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape his skin as he sat among a heap of ashes. It seemed Job’s misery would not end. He maintained his integrity and did not sin nor charge God with wrong. After the boils covered his body, his wife could not understand how he retained his integrity, begging him to curse God and die. Job kept his faith in God.

When Job’s four friends heard of his plight, they came to see how they could comfort him. They were astonished at what they saw. When they saw him from afar, they did not recognize him. Lifting their voices in lament and eyes filled with tears, they tore their clothes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. Then, they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. During those seven days, no one said a word to Job. When they looked at their friend, all they could see was the intensity of suffering was too great for words. They sat in silence to comfort their friend.

Breaking the silence after seven days, Job cursed the day of his birth. Eliphaz spoke first, accusing Job of sinning. He believed the suffering came as a result of a sin or sins Job committed and that God was chastening him. Job denied the charge. Bildad and Zophar told Job he should repent. Again, Job answers his critics and claims his innocence. Eliphaz accuses Job of foolishness. Job responds by telling his three friends who accused him they were miserable comforters. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar were close friends of Job and wanted desperately to find a way to ease the suffering of Job. Instead, they only heightened it by saying the wrong things.

When Job’s friends initially came to see him, they did the best thing they could do. They sat in silence with their friend for seven days and nights. Sometimes, the best remedy for grief is silence. What makes this silence so loud is the comfort it gives to the one suffering. The mistake the three friends made with Job was trying to explain something they could not explain or understand. Helping those with loss can be done with words only if the right words are chosen; and so often they are not. It is the human nature to try and take the pain away or divert the conversation from the reality, but overcoming loss is a process that takes love and patience.

So often, people are scared to talk with those grieving, and that kind of silence hurts. Words are helpful in the midst of loss, but so is the sound of silence when holding hands, hugs, and sitting with someone as they go through their grief. Showing love to the bereaved comes in many forms. No one is perfect at finding the right words, but showing love by being there and helping in any way can make the burden lighter and fulfill the law of God. Don’t ignore or neglect those going through loss. Job told his friends if he was in their place, he would try to encourage them. He would try to take away their grief. Be an encouragement. Sometimes, be the silence.

Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” (John 21:20-22)

It’s None Of Your Business

Where did Cain find a wife? An old preacher told an inquisitive student seeking answers that he should not be so interested in another man’s wife. Why did people live so long in the early days of the earth? What happened to the ark built by Noah? Where is the Ark of the Covenant? What happened to the cross Jesus was crucified on? There are many questions asked over the centuries that remain unanswered. The Bible tells us that Cain had a wife and bore many children, but it does not tell the story of where his wife came from. Nothing is known of so many things in the Bible that have puzzled the hearts of men.

The Bible is an answer book to the need of humanity to find salvation. It is not a book of encyclopedic knowledge to answer all the questions of the universe. There are many things not written in the book that remain unanswered. God never intended to give the world a book to open all the mysteries of life to fulfill men’s curiosity. What is contained in the sixty-six books of the Bible is all the world needs. God did not include sixty-five or sixty-seven books but the complete set of divine wisdom needed to guide the souls of men to eternal life.

There are four gospels about the life of Jesus. Anything less would not tell the whole story, and there was no need to include more. The perfect symmetry of the four gospels is the message of Jesus to Jews and Gentiles, showing Jesus to be man and God. After the story of Jesus’ birth, the only other reference to the life of Jesus is when He is twelve. Nothing is known of His life until He turns thirty. Why did the Father not add more information about the life of Jesus? It was not necessary for salvation.

After the resurrection, Jesus spent time with the eleven when He challenged Peter with questions of devotion. He asked the apostle if he loved Him, and Peter responded each time. Jesus tells Peter he will be carried away to his death when he is old. Afterwards, the Lord tells Peter to follow Him. Seeing John, Peter wants to know what will happen to John. Jesus gently chides Peter by telling him that what happens to John is none of his business. What Peter needed to focus on was following Jesus.

Keeping the main thing the main thing is sometimes challenging because all the answers are not found. Men spend lifetimes trying to answer questions that have no answers because God has not told them. False doctrines are often created from false stories that have no basis in truth. No one knows how many wise men came to see Jesus; their names are hidden from history. Yet, many teach there were three and give their names. Jesus reminds Peter there are more important matters to consider. Whether John lived or died is not any concern for Peter. What Peter’s concern is to follow Jesus.

The Bible was not written to answer all the questions of life, but it does answer the questions of eternal life. Everything a man needs to know to be saved is contained in the sixty-six books of the Bible – no more and no less. The Bible is a perfect composition of the will of God with exacting information that will lead to salvation. Read it to be wise unto salvation. Don’t worry about the things that are not revealed. It’s none of our business.

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:20-21)

It Is Possible To Stray From The Faith

Truth is older than error, but the effects of error have lasting results. God has always given man a law that is not hard to understand. The Lord has never asked man to do anything he could not do. Error comes when the human heart decides to overrule the will of God for the passions of the heart to do what human wisdom believes to be the truth. There is truth, and there is error because God established one line of authority, and that authority is settled in heaven. When a man denies the world is round, it does not change the truth that the world is a circle; instead, it exposes his error. Sadly, most of humanity does not believe in God because they reject truth.

There have always been godless doctrines of men that come from foolish wisdom with those who profess a so-called knowledge. This is where false doctrines come and how men turn away from truth. Many who once believed in God turn away from truth to follow their own path. The possibility of individual apostasy has always plagued the hearts of men. Paul warned Timothy about the profane and idle babblings that lead to the heart turning away from God. Those who seek after human wisdom will turn away from the faith. At one time, they believed in the faith given through Jesus Christ, but through the wisdom of the carnal mind, walk away from the word of God.

The possibility of a child of God losing his faith is real and dangerous. Paul warned the first-century Christians of those who shipwrecked their faith. These were legitimate people of God who were enlightened by the gospel of Christ, tasted the heavenly gift of grace, and partook of the gift of the Holy Spirit – and they walked away from their faith. The most tragic thing that happens to the heart of man is to walk away from God. Nothing is more damaging to the heart than error. Satan is very cunning in how he changes the hearts of God’s people to follow his pernicious ways. Ironically, one of the most powerful means of destroying the souls of the saints is to make them believe in the doctrine of “once saved, always saved.” Many hearts are being led down the path of error to their own destruction because of this doctrine.

Paul said that some have strayed concerning the faith. Those who were in the fellowship of grace fully possessed this type of faith. Human knowledge changes the heart to turn away from God. Paul’s warning was for Timothy to preach the word in every season to secure the hearts of the saints to remain faithful. The danger of a saint losing their soul is real. Satan does not give up on those who leave his fold. He works hard to regain their souls and has succeeded many times. The warning is real because the danger is real. Guard what is committed to your trust!

But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing. (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12)

Be Quiet

Life’s aspirations can be as varied as the individual who makes them. Some men want to be remembered as society’s powerbrokers in politics, finance, sports, or education. Olympians train their whole lives to pursue medals and accolades of world fame. Riches draw many people to get as much wealth as possible in a lifetime. For many, life’s aspirations involve every physical pleasure to the enjoyment of the flesh. The irony is that those who seek fame and fortune to be remembered soon lose their fame and fortune and are forgotten within a generation.

From the beginning of man’s history, God has had a simple plan for His people. Aspire to lead quiet lives, let the world see their example of faith, and be diligent in the industry of produce. Moses is one of the most visible pictures of history, yet the Lord said he was the humblest man among men. Abraham is remembered as a friend of God. David was a man after God’s own heart. Many names have been passed down through the ages who grace the pages of God’s holy book, sharing one characteristic: they were humble servants of God living their lives as quiet people of the Most High God.

The Bible is filled with many warnings of keeping the law and obeying the word of the Lord. There are many parts of scripture where the doctrines of God are emphasized for their eternal consequences, demanding faithfulness on the part of God’s people. One part of scripture often overlooked is telling His people to live quiet lives as good examples to the world. Paul reminds the saints in Thessalonica to love one another and to lead quiet lives. The Christian does not show the world a loud character of rebellion, chaos, or civil unrest. God expects His people to submit to government with reverence and fear. The example of the saint is one of quietness and holiness. There is a part of the Christian’s life where they work diligently with their hands to provide for those in need and to mind their own business as examples of truth and righteousness.

Living quiet lives is one of the most powerful testimonies of the grace of God. The principle of Christian graces is founded on the need to be peaceful with all men, seek peace with everyone, and show the world an attitude of honest labor. These principles are core to the development of the child of God. Jesus told His disciples to be salt and light. Salt is a quiet seasoning that finds its strength in its contact with other things. Light is a soft effect that illuminates its surroundings without the thunder of pride and arrogance. Jesus wants His disciples to lead quiet lives as examples of the grace of God.

Paul tells Timothy to remind the brethren to respect kings and all who are in authority and to lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and reverence. This is what is good and acceptable in the sight of God. The result can be found in the souls who see the quiet examples of Christians serving God in holiness and leading them to be saved. When the world tries to ridicule the life of a Christian, they will have to argue against their quiet nature. Let the spirit of quietness dwell in the hearts of God’s people as proper examples of truth. Live peaceably with all men as much as possible. Let Christ shine from those who light up their world with the grace of God.

“I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?'” (Malachi 1:2a)

Ingratitude And God’s Love

Ingratitude is the highest insult man can give the Lord. Pride is the sin of man believing that he is greater than his Creator and does not need the Divine. After the Jews returned from seventy years of captivity in the land of Babylon, the people struggled to trust the Lord and seek His blessings. Their hearts were cold and hard against the grace of God. Worship became a drab and unfeeling movement of apathy as they sacrificed polluted offerings and wearied to show love for the Lord. The prophet Malachi was burdened with the message of God’s displeasure to the rebellious and unthankful people.

From the beginning of God’s promise to Abraham to make him a great nation, the mercy and grace of God had been extended to Israel time without number. The journey of the Hebrews to a nation of God’s special people was arduous and difficult. After saving His people from the bondage of Egypt, the people complained and murmured for forty years. Because of their lack of faith in God, the nation wandered close to the promised land as everyone above the age of twenty died in the wilderness. Only Joshua and Caleb would live to walk on the soil of the promised land.

During the period of the Judges, God delivered the people from their tormentors. The Lord gave the people a king to lead them, but they were unsatisfied. After the death of Solomon, the nation fell into civil war and divided with Israel in the north and Judah in the south. The Assyrians destroyed the northern tribes, and God’s grace spared Judah the same fate. God allowed Babylon to carry His people into captivity for seventy years. The decree of Cyrus sent the Jews home, but it was the handwriting of God that made it possible. Throughout all the many years of Israel’s existence, God was always present to care for and protect His people. And now the Jews murmur against God that He does not love them.

The ingratitude of humanity against the will of God is characteristic of how the world watches the sunrise every day, and life is filled with the grandeur and wonder of creation, and they hate God. Life is given through the hand of the Divine, and man despises the name of the Lord. Everything that man is and has comes from the hand of God. The breath of life begins with the Almighty. Rains fill the parched ground, crops abound with the commerce of plenty, joy and happiness come from the portals of heaven, and man complains that God has no love for them. One of the greatest sins against the Almighty is the heart of ingratitude.

God tells man He loves them, and He sends His only begotten Son to die for the sins of the world. The world replies, “In what way have You loved us?” The hatred of man against God is seen in how the world rejects God’s mercy and grace. Man has no time for the Lord. The Bible is dismissed as a book of fairy tales. Worship is ridiculed. Righteousness is reviled. Hedonism is the God of humanity denying all the good things God has done. Jesus said His Father allows the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. God shows his love, and humankind shows his hatred.

Malachi’s message remains the same. God has done everything to bless man with the physical needs of life and give him hope of life after death. There is never a doubt about the love of God. In return, a man complains that God does not love him. The heart is filled with ingratitude for all the blessings of God. What man fails to see is the hand of the Lord in everything. Gratitude turns the heart toward the great Provider and Sustainer of life. Be thankful to God and turn your heart toward His blessings. See the hand of God in all things pertaining to life and happiness. Show your love to God by thanking God for His love. That can only be found in Jesus Christ.

I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:13-16)

The Only Potentate

A sovereign is someone who exercises absolute authority as supreme ruler. The authority of a king in a monarchy is complete, absolute, and without question. Democracy is not one of the traits of a monarchy. When a sovereign rules over an empire, there is no higher authority. The ruler establishes laws as solely his power to execute and enforce his will upon the people. There have been many benevolent rulers in history and many more tyrants who rule with an oppressive iron will.

The apostle Paul lived in the days of the Roman Empire with supreme rulers like Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus, and Imperator Nero Claudius Caesar. These rulers exercised great authority over their subjects. As great as their power, they were ruled by a higher authority in God’s divine will. History is filled with men who, through power, dominated their world with cruelty and oppression, but only for a short time. After the men died, their influence was lost and forgotten. Many great nations have filled the globe with their conquest, as the Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans attest. While their reign was fierce and, in some cases, spanning many generations, they have all faded into the dust of history.

Jesus Christ is a King and is Lord. His sovereignty is different from that of men. Paul declares that Jesus is the only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords. As Potentate, Jesus is the only authority. When God raised Jesus from the dead, He gave His Son all authority. The covenant of blood was established through Jesus’s death, making Him the only Potentate. He is the supreme ruler and commander of the army of God. His word must not be ignored. The will of Jesus is in perfect union with the word of the Father. Jesus told His disciples what He taught was not His own word but what His Father commanded Him to preach.

The Christian world does not understand that Jesus is the only Potentate. This becomes evident when the teachings of the religious disciples do not come from the word of God. There are abundant things people believe and hold as truth that cannot be found in the word of God. The Bible is the law book of the King of Kings. As Lord above all lords, Jesus Christ is the final word. Serving as the kingdom’s only Potentate or Sovereign ruler, Jesus is the first and final word. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Nothing can be taken away from His word, and nothing can be added.

Jesus is Potentate. Salvation depends on whether a man is willing to submit to the complete will of the word of Jesus Christ. Any deviation from the word will bring harsh judgment from the King of kings. No ruler in the world has higher authority than Jesus Christ. No Supreme Court, Parliament, political group, kingship, or dictatorship exercises more authority than Jesus Christ. All men serve the King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus is the only Potentate. Peter challenged a group of powerful Jewish leaders, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.” The conclusion is that you must obey the will of the only Potentate.

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. (1 Timothy 6:6-8)

Learning To Be Content

It is not easy to be content. The desire for the good things in life has always tugged at the heart of men to want more, gain more, and enjoy the best. Wars have been fought because of greed. Families are destroyed by husbands and wives working to attain the dream of wealth, never growing in their love for one another until it is too late. Children become latch-key products of parents who are more concerned about a bigger house, new cars, and the world’s best toys. The untold story is the sad commentary of those who spend a lifetime gaining all the fineries of life and finding themselves at the end of life alone and unloved. So many lives were destroyed for what gain?

There is nothing wrong with wealth and enjoying the good things of life. The problem is not the riches of the world but the poverty of heart. Godliness does not allow the heart to consume itself with the pleasures of greed and avarice. Having a godly heart is not so much about a religious stance but a deeper understanding of what is of greater value. Money can never buy a baby’s smile. Having all the best in the world will not bring happiness. Money is green but can become the blackness of depravity and destruction. God directed man to have dominion over the earth, but He warned men about allowing the world to have dominion over their souls.

Contentment is a subjective concept. If a man seeks contentment to gain wealth and pleasure, he will not be content. Having enough to the greedy heart is always just a little more than what a man has. True contentment is when the heart focuses on the reality of the world’s treasures. Everything – without exception – is vain when sought for in the world. The Ancient Egyptians left a legacy of failing to take anything with them when they died. Tombs have been unearthed for thousands of years and are filled with the materialism of people who thought they could take it with them. Museums are overflowing with that failed religion.

Learning to be content is the key to true happiness. It begins by realizing that as the man Job observed, he came naked from his mother’s womb, and he died naked. At the end of his story, Job left all that he had – fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys; all of his houses, furniture, land, crops, servants, and family. They buried him, and his bones are lost to the shades of history. His only remembrance is through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Contentment is where the heart realizes what is important in life. Food is necessary to fuel the body. Clothing is essential to protect the body. Nothing else is needed except for a roof over the head and a means of travel. The American dream is to fill up the house with all the world’s stuff and, if needed, rent a few storage facilities to store all of the extra stuff; and to what end? Because the heart is not content, the credit debt consumes the life of the family.

Learning to be content comes from viewing life from God’s word. Having a relationship with a spouse, enjoying family time together, sharing fellowship with others who love the Lord, and finding joy in a quiet sunset, music that warms the heart, and a gentle stroll down the path with a loved one hand in hand. Godliness opens the eyes to what is really important in life. Seeking treasures outside this world will bring greater joy and more profound satisfaction. The rats are the only ones winning the rat race; then they die. Live for Jesus. Find contentment in the joy of knowing God’s love through the knowledge of His word.

Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what He has made crooked? (Ecclesiastes 7:13)

Trying To Change What God Has Made

The natural world is an amazing testimony to the design and function of God’s creation. There is order in the days of creation in perfect design. Light was created before the Sun and plants. Imagine the chaos if the trees were created before light. The laws of nature are in place for the good of man. Without the law of gravity, the world could not exist and would never be able to sustain life. The Earth is precisely the proper distance from the Sun, which is the perfect size and kind for life on Earth. Tides are regulated with precision, and with all the water on the planet, the continents will never be flooded. Every morning, the Sun rises in the east and disappears in the west. Perfect unity of heavenly bodies working in unison with life on earth.

When men discovered flight, they did not change the laws of God. Flying temporarily suspends the law of gravity, but other laws allow the airplane to fly. Four laws of aerodynamics (lift, weight, thrust, and drag) send the aircraft into the air. If any of these laws fail, the law of gravity takes over. Scientists can send machines into space with the precision of divine laws that allow men to land and walk on the moon or send probes to Mars and far away places. If any laws are broken, men die, and machines break.

The wise man reflected upon the will of God that nothing man can do will change the course of God’s design. This is abundantly clear in nature, yet man believes he can change the word of God. Until humanity accepts the way God does things, there will be strife, hatred, prejudice, lawlessness, and a world filled with darkness. Denying the earth is round does not change the truth; it only makes the one who does not believe mistaken. Trying to change the design of God will never change what the Lord has established. Every generation that moves away from believing in the one true God will find itself in jeopardy quickly. No nation will survive that denies God.

Who can make straight what the Lord has made crooked? History is filled with the remnants of nations and people who tried to change the purpose of God. The Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans are some of the most powerful nations in world history, yet they no longer exist because of the word of the Lord. Jesus told His Jewish brethren that Israel would no longer be the people of God. Israel is not a Biblical nation. Jesus promised to build His church, and that word was accomplished on Pentecost. The church Jesus built has existed for more than two thousand years. Men have tried to change the church’s design, purpose, and work to no avail. They have created many denominations from the apostate Roman and Orthodox churches, but have they changed the word of the Lord? The true body of believers remains intact in the hearts of the devout people seeking His will.

There is nothing man can do to straighten what God has made crooked. The lesson for those who seek the will of the Father is to accept the word of God as truth (because it is) and follow it without change. God’s word is still true. All the efforts of men to change God’s mind are futile and silly. God is true. Nothing will change that.