I was reading the Bible the other day and said to Ann, “It’s funny how flat the words on the pages of the Bible can seem until the Holy Spirit begins His wonderful work in our lives that reveals some of the glorious depth of His Words.”
I know what “great gain” might mean to me while I’m “in the flesh” on earth. But, what must the Lord mean by “great gain?” I want to know what He means for it must be beyond my understanding. And I want to go beyond my understanding to experience His understanding, His great gain.
I’m sitting here feeling something of the weight of God’s glory and I want to try to express the thoughts I’m having this morning.
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6
Great gain. Wow, how understated those words of our Lord must be. They seem so shallow and one-dimensional to our flesh. We can only truly discover the depth and glory of those words if we choose to follow Him to that marvelous place of “godliness with contentment,” to the Holy, joy-filled place of “great gain.”
I promise you, Godliness is what you really need. And, it’s what He knows you really want.
I wanted to share something the Holy Spirit just revealed to me, again. I’ve never been happy, satisfied or had peace insisting on my desires, my will. That always only led to strife and contention between myself and Jesus. I’ve really only found Jesus’ matchless and surpassing peace and joy – real peace and joy – by submitting my will, my plans, my dreams, and goals to Him, to His will for my life. When you experience the Heavenly joy only Jesus can give you when you submit your flesh to Him, you’ll never be satisfied with anything else. Nothing can compare with His reward of joy for choosing to be willing to follow Him, His lead into His promise land for you, your life.
Oh Jesus, I want more of You. I want so much to be better at longsuffering. I want to finally be at peace and content, always, where the great gain is. I want to be better at letting You provide all that I need however You choose to do it, Lord.
Wholly Yours, Jesus. That’s what I need because the tastes You given me of Yourself far exceed this life and show me that nothing can compare with being totally Yours.
Godliness with contentment. What great gain He has for us there. Surely, there is nothing like the weight of His glory. What other-worldly joy must fill one there.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:5
Oh, how great (how deep) are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! (Surely, we can only begin to understand and partake of God if we’ve asked Jesus into our lives.)
Romans 11:33
God bless,
Mark