1 Timothy 6:7–8: “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.”

July 13th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Paul reminded young Timothy that we will all leave this world with the same belongings we entered with, which is nothing; thus the old saying, “You can’t take it with you.” If we have sufficient food and clothing, that should be enough to be satisfied in this life. These may sound like strange words to modern ears, but they are still the secret to finding great contentment almost 2000 years later. The basic necessities of life are all that should be needed to make any believer content.

Russian author Leo Tolstoy left us a good illustration of this in one of his famous short stories. It is about a successful peasant farmer who in spite of his success was not satisfied with his lot. He wanted more of everything. One day he received a novel offer. For 1000 rubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day. The only catch was he had to be back at his starting point by sundown or he lost everything, even his 1000 rubles. Early the next morning he started out walking. By midday he was very tired, but he kept going, covering more and more ground. Well into the afternoon, he realized that his greed had taken him too far from his starting point. He quickened his pace and as the sun began to sink low in the sky, he broke into a run, knowing if he didn’t make it back by sundown, he would lose not only his opportunity to become a bigger landholder but his 1000 rubles as well. As the sun began to sink below the horizon, he came within sight of the finish line. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he called upon every bit of strength left in his body and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared. He immediately collapsed, blood streaming from his mouth. He was dead. Afterwards, his servant dug a grave six feet from his head to his heels. The title of Tolstoy’s story was, “How Much Land Does a Man Need?”

“LORD, help us to stay focused on eternity today and live this day like it may be our last.”