- Taste and see that the Lord is truly good (10/22/23)
- Sharing in the eternal glory of God (10/8/23)
- An attitude that is like Christ’s attitude (10/1/23)
- Through it all, God is always with us in the deep (9/24/23)
- There is no rock like our God (9/17/23)
- Becoming '7 x 70' people (8/31/23)
- Through God’s grace, we have become witnesses (8/27/23)
Pastor shares secret of being content
In 1972 there was a man who was working the railroad. He was walking the track and checking the boxcars to make sure everything was secure. He had climbed up into a refrigerated boxcar and when he did, the door accidentally slammed shut and the man was locked inside. He immediately realized he was going to die. So the man began to write a message to his family, telling them his last wishes and thoughts. The next morning the man’s co-workers opened the refrigerated boxcar to find the man had died from hypothermia. What they also found out was the refrigerated car had malfunctioned. The refrigerator unit was not working properly and after further investigation, they figured out that the boxcar was never colder than fifty-eight degrees while the man was locked inside of it.
Have you ever heard the term “He’s going to worry himself to death?” This man thought he was dying. He literally thought he was going to freeze to death. The autopsy report showed that the man died of hypothermia. However, he did not die of hypothermia from the refrigerated unit. It was recorded in the report that there was evidence of brain activity that basically convinced his bodily organs that he was dying. His brain literally sent a message to his heart and other organs telling them to shut down.
The story above is extreme but it is a true story. The story above is a lesson for us. Be careful about what you are thinking about. Our thoughts have intentional consequences.
What you think about determines what you believe. What you believe determines your behavior, your behavior determines your future, good or bad.
It is amazing to me all the hysteria that has been created by rising gasoline prices. Though the price of gasoline is high, I do remember paying higher prices for gas around twelve to thirteen years ago. I also remember back in the fall of 2001, Heidi and I had purchased a 1998 Ford Windstar Minivan. Previous to this vehicle purchase, we had only driven compact cars. I remember the first time I took the minivan to the gas station to fill its tank. I about had a heart attack! It cost me $28.00 to fill up the tank on that vehicle! God’s Word reassured me that the Lord has never seen his righteous begging for bread. God is the best financial advisor! He has a way of taking our budgets and stretching them due to our faithfulness.
There are times when we do not have time to financially fret yet we do. When it comes to finances we need to do less worrying and more declaring. I have learned through the years to stand upon God’s Word. After all, the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom or what should I have to fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life. My God shall supply all my needs according to his riches and glory. I do not fear the rising cost of bread. Why? Jesus declared that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
A loved one that lives in another state called me last week. This person was really upset! I said, “What is wrong?” My loved one was frantic!
“Dave, I just saw the price of bread is going up. The price is going to go up so high we are going to have to start baking our own bread!” My response to that was, “ Is that really such a bad thing? If we baked our own bread, we would be taking ownership of our health when it comes to bread because we would know what is in the bread!” God is moving in his mighty power! I do not have time to sweat the small stuff.
Hebrews 4:1-2 in the KJV says; “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”
These verses are talking about the Children of Israel who left Egypt only to die in the desert and never reach the Promised Land. It was their unbelief and their negative thoughts that lead to a generation perishing in the desert. We must profit from the word by mixing it with the measure of faith God has given us. The truth of the Word of God is true whether we believe it or not but if we receive God’s Word and mix it with faith we have created a powerful mixture. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We have to hear the word and mix it with faith and be doers of the Word. When we believe it and receive it and the word of God becomes the belief we are standing on, we will have the contentment Paul shares in Philippians 4:12,13; “I 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 every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or living in want. I can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives me strength.”
I know who I believe in and I’m persuaded that Jesus is able to do anything in my life. May the Good Lord bless you and your family this week.
Dave Truncone is the pastor of First Assembly of God Church in Van Buren.
Posting a comment requires free registration:
- If you already have an account, follow this link to login
- Otherwise, follow this link to register