Trusting God's Faithful Care Produces Contentment
Daily Scripture
Hebrews 13:2-6
2 Don’t neglect to open up your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it. 3 Remember prisoners as if you were in prison with them, and people who are mistreated as if you were in their place. 4 Marriage must be honored in every respect, with no cheating on the relationship, because God will judge the sexually immoral person and the person who commits adultery. 5 Your way of life should be free from the love of money, and you should be content with what you have. After all, he has said, I will never leave you or abandon you [Deuteronomy 31:6; Genesis 28:15]. 6 This is why we can confidently say,
The Lord is my helper,
and I won’t be afraid.
What can people do to me? [Psalm 118:6]
Daily Reflection & Prayer
DID YOU KNOW?
Sunday, November 16, is “Commitment Sunday,” when all Resurrection members are invited to turn in our 2026 Ministry Fund Commitment forms at worship. But you can also make your 2026 Ministry Fund Commitment online by clicking here. Either way, make your commitment prayerfully, not casually, as an expression of your gratitude for God’s generosity to you in so many tangible and intangible ways.
Today’s passage moved from hospitality to prisoners to marriage to money. But a thread linked all the topics: all require trust in God’s caring rather than in our resources or security. This letter said contentment rooted in God’s faithfulness is possible and essential for God’s people. To Christians who “accepted the confiscation of their possessions” (Hebrews 10:34) because of their faith, the message was clear: God will never abandon you, even if everything else is lost.
- Scholar N. T. Wright noted a rule of thumb from Hebrews 13:5: “When you love something or someone, you make sacrifices for them. When you find yourself making a sacrifice of something else in your life, simply so that you can follow where money is beckoning you, regard that as a danger signal.” * So, if you’re willing to skip family dinners to work overtime, give up your values for a promotion, or neglect relationships for financial gain, money may be becoming your master. What would you never give up just to be able to pursue more money?
- Wright further observed that Hebrews 13 was not talking about random “topics.” All of its wisdom grew from our faith: “Those who trust in God to be with them forever, to help them and defend them in and through all circumstances, will be far less likely to fall for the temptations of sexual immorality or love of money, both of which so often attack those who are personally insecure.” ** How can trust in God, and the contentment that brings, ripple through all the other parts of life?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are dynamic, yet your steadfast love, the core of your character, never changes. Teach me day by day to find my security in your faithful presence, not in my bank account or possessions. Amen.
GPS Insights
Darren LIppe
Darren Lippe, who serves as a Couples Small Group co-leader and Men's Group Leader, while volunteering in a variety of other capacities at Resurrection, wrote today’s Insights. He and his wife, Doris, first met in a Resurrection Single Adult Sunday School class in 1997 and were married in what is now the Student Center. They are empty nesters with 2 college-aged sons, Matthew and Jacob.
Today’s passage is rather convicting for me. However, I realized that our beagles, Daisy Doo & Susie Q, are actually pretty good at fulfilling the life changes offered by the author of Hebrews. Consider:
Hebrews charges us to be welcoming the stranger to our home. Yikes. Considering that I never even answer the phone without checking Caller I.D., I’m not sure I’m a good role model for this challenge. Yet, Daisy & Susie are always filled with exuberance & get the “zoomies” racing around the house any time we have a visitor. They’ll leap for joy at a mere shadow at the door or race to the window if they sense a car on the driveway. They practice joyful hospitality every single day.
Aside: I can’t take my dog down to the local pond anymore. The ducks keep attacking her. It’s my fault for raising a pure-bread.
Hebrews encourages us to be content with what we have. Ugh. I like to say I live a life of contentment, but then I’ll go to the Friends of Johnson County Library Book Sale & lie to myself saying, “I won’t buy any books until I’ve read the ones on my nightstand.” (Placing my books on my bookshelf ‘two-deep” is rather convicting evidence.) In contrast, Daisy & Susie are the models of contentment. They do a happy dance on their hind legs every time we fill their bowls with food–even though it is the same food twice/day every day for years. They love going on their walks twice a day–despite the fact it is the same route each time. And they are more than happy to share their king-sized bed, complete with throw pillows & duvet, with their humans. They practice the art of contentment each day.
Aside: My friend’s pet is such a good watchdog, he named him, “Rolex.”
Finally, Hebrews closes today’s guidance by urging us to trust in God. It’s ironic, but I 100% trust in God for all of the big things:
- Salvation of my soul-No question
- Good ultimately triumphing over evil-You bet,
- The overabundance of peace, joy, & love in the afterlife-No doubt.
But. Always trusting in God on the minor day-to-day fears & worries? Um. Yet, as I view Daisy & Susie, their trust in their earthly parents knows no bounds. If there is a thunderstorm, they are confident they are completely safe snuggled under the cover. If we tell them, “We’ll be back in a little bit–we’re just going to dinner”–they know they needn’t worry & can take a nap. And if it is 6:00 a.m., they know that breakfast will soon be served. (To be honest, their confidence in their master’s intelligence probably wavers each fall with Daylight Savings Time; who is dumb enough to arbitrarily move their clocks back an hour?)
Aside: A nephew & his wife were having dinner with their 80-year-old Uncle at his rustic cabin. Since there was no running water in the cabin, the wife was somewhat concerned about the cleanliness of the dishware. The old codger reassured her saying, “I always use soap & water to clean all the dishes & silverware.” Relieved, they ate their dinner. Afterwards, the Uncle told them to just leave the dishes on the table, opened the door, & called for his dogs, “Here Soap! Here Water!”
So, maybe we should look to our furry companions for some lessons in our own faith walk & enthusiastically interact with the “strangers” in our lives, be more content with our many blessings, &, most importantly, trust in God throughout our daily routines.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take Daisy & Susie on their walk. I really should have named one of them “10 Miles.” (Why?–Editor) So, I could say I walked 10-miles this afternoon.”
Here is a picture of today’s amateur theologians:
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Wright, N.T., Hebrews for Everyone (The New Testament for Everyone) (pp. 170-171). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
** Wright, N.T., ibid.
