Of Kings & Covenants: A Study of 1 & 2 Samuel (A Fall from Grace - 1 Samuel 13:1–15:35)

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Wednesday Morning Bible Study is continuing its study of the Old Testament by looking at how God led David from watching a flock to leading a nation. Below is an outline for the series.

• Session 1 - 1 Samuel 1:1–4:1
• Session 2 - 1 Samuel 4:2–7:17
• Session 3 - 1 Samuel 8:1–10:27
• Session 4 - 1 Samuel 11:1–12:25
• Session 5 - 1 Samuel 13:1–15:35
• Session 6 - 1 Samuel 16:1–17:58
• Session 7 - 1 Samuel 18:1–20:42
• Session 8 - 1 Samuel 21:1–23:29
• Session 9 - 1 Samuel 24:1–26:25
• Session 10 - 1 Samuel 27:1–29:11
• Session 11 - 1 Samuel 30:1–31:13
• Session 12 - 2 Samuel 1:1–3:21
• Session 13 - 2 Samuel 3:22–5:10
• Session 14 - 2 Samuel 5:11–8:18
• Session 15 - 2 Samuel 9:1–11:27
• Session 16 - 2 Samuel 12:1–14:33
• Session 17 - 2 Samuel 15:1–18:8
• Session 18 - 2 Samuel 18:9–20:26
• Session 19 - 2 Samuel 21:1–24:25

During our fifth session, we discussed Saul's fall from grace, 1 Samuel 13:1–15:35. Below is a recording of our discussion and the text from 1 Samuel.

1 Samuel 13:1–15:35 [New Revised Standard Version]

Saul was...years old when he began to reign; and he reigned...and two years over Israel. Saul chose three thousand out of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; the rest of the people he sent home to their tents. Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba; and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” When all Israel heard that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines, the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal. The Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude; they came up and encamped at Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. When the Israelites saw that they were in distress (for the troops were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns. Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people began to slip away from Saul. So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the offerings of well-being.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived; and Saul went out to meet him and salute him. Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul replied, “When I saw that the people were slipping away from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were mustering at Michmash, I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of the Lord’; so I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which he commanded you. The Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever, but now your kingdom will not continue; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart; and the Lord has appointed him to be ruler over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

And Samuel left and went on his way from Gilgal. The rest of the people followed Saul to join the army; they went up from Gilgal toward Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped at Michmash. And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies; one company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual, another company turned toward Beth-horon, and another company turned toward the mountain that looks down upon the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, “The Hebrews must not make swords or spears for themselves”; so all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshare, mattocks, axes, or sickles; The charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads. So on the day of the battle neither sword nor spear was to be found in the possession of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and his son Jonathan had them. Now a garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass of Michmash.

One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree that is at Migron; the troops that were with him were about six hundred men, along with Ahijah son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, son of Phinehas son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, carrying an ephod. Now the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. In the pass, by which Jonathan tried to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on one side and a rocky crag on the other; the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. One crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will act for us; for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” His armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that your mind inclines to. I am with you; as your mind is, so is mine.” Then Jonathan said, “Now we will cross over to those men and will show ourselves to them. If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them. But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up; for the Lord has given them into our hand. That will be the sign for us.” So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, “Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” The men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer, saying, “Come up to us, and we will show you something.” Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me; for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.” Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer following after him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer, coming after him, killed them. In that first slaughter Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed about twenty men within an area about half a furrow long in an acre of land. There was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison and even the raiders trembled; the earth quaked; and it became a very great panic.

Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin were watching as the multitude was surging back and forth. Then Saul said to the troops that were with him, “Call the roll and see who has gone from us.” When they had called the roll, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For at that time the ark of God went with the Israelites. While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more; and Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle; and every sword was against the other, so that there was very great confusion. Now the Hebrews who previously had been with the Philistines and had gone up with them into the camp turned and joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. Likewise, when all the Israelites who had gone into hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed closely after them in the battle. So the Lord gave Israel the victory that day. The battle passed beyond Beth-aven, and the troops with Saul numbered altogether about ten thousand men. The battle spread out over the hill country of Ephraim.

Now Saul committed a very rash act on that day. He had laid an oath on the troops, saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food before it is evening and I have been avenged on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted food. All the troops came upon a honeycomb; and there was honey on the ground. When the troops came upon the honeycomb, the honey was dripping out; but they did not put their hands to their mouths, for they feared the oath. But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the troops with the oath; so he extended the staff that was in his hand, and dipped the tip of it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened. Then one of the soldiers said, “Your father strictly charged the troops with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food this day.’ And so the troops are faint.” Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land; see how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. How much better if today the troops had eaten freely of the spoil taken from their enemies; for now the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great.” After they had struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon, the troops were very faint; so the troops flew upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the troops ate them with the blood. Then it was reported to Saul, “Look, the troops are sinning against the Lord by eating with the blood.” And he said, “You have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone before me here.” Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the troops, and say to them, ‘Let all bring their oxen or their sheep, and slaughter them here, and eat; and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.’” So all of the troops brought their oxen with them that night, and slaughtered them there. And Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.

Then Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and despoil them until the morning light; let us not leave one of them.” They said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” But the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” So Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day. Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people; and let us find out how this sin has arisen today. For as the Lord lives who saves Israel, even if it is in my son Jonathan, he shall surely die!” But there was no one among all the people who answered him. He said to all Israel, “You shall be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side.” The people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.” Then Saul said, “O Lord God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant today? If this guilt is in me or in my son Jonathan, O Lord God of Israel, give Urim; but if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim.” And Jonathan and Saul were indicated by the lot, but the people were cleared. Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was taken. Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand; here I am, I will die.” Saul said, “God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan!” Then the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great victory in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground; for he has worked with God today.” So the people ransomed Jonathan, and he did not die. Then Saul withdrew from pursuing the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place.

When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side—against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; wherever he turned he routed them. He did valiantly, and struck down the Amalekites, and rescued Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them. Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn was Merab, and the name of the younger, Michal. The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner son of Ner, Saul’s uncle; Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any strong or valiant warrior, he took him into his service.

Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did in opposing the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” So Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers, and ten thousand soldiers of Judah. Saul came to the city of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley. Saul said to the Kenites, “Go! Leave! Withdraw from among the Amalekites, or I will destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites. Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. He took King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and of the cattle and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was valuable, and would not utterly destroy them; all that was despised and worthless they utterly destroyed.

The word of the Lord came to Samuel: “I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not carried out my commands.” Samuel was angry; and he cried out to the Lord all night. Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, and Samuel was told, “Saul went to Carmel, where he set up a monument for himself, and on returning he passed on down to Gilgal.” When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, “May you be blessed by the Lord; I have carried out the command of the Lord.” But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of cattle that I hear?” Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the cattle, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.” Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” He replied, “Speak.” Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But from the spoil the people took sheep and cattle, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is no less a sin than divination, and stubbornness is like iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”

Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, I pray, pardon my sin, and return with me, so that I may worship the Lord.” Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” As Samuel turned to go away, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this very day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. Moreover the Glory of Israel will not recant or change his mind; for he is not a mortal, that he should change his mind.” Then Saul said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” So Samuel turned back after Saul; and Saul worshiped the Lord.

Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” And Agag came to him haltingly. Agag said, “Surely this is the bitterness of death.” But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother shall be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Praising the Lord at Country Springs - Sunday, January 28, 2024

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Board of Deacons sponsors a worship service at the Country Springs Retirement & Assisted Living Facility. We gather for songs, prayers and praise on the first and third Sundays of each month. 

On Sunday, January 28, we gathered to sing some of the old favorites, to pray and to hear the Word of God read and proclaimed. This week, we focused on why and how we can become more content.  A recording of the service is below.

 

God and Money: Five Principles for Handling Our Possessions (Seek Contentment)

As we leave this holiday season, a lot of people find themselves facing some finance stress as they enter the new year. And for that reason, we’ve started a five-week sermon series entitled God and Money: Five Principles for Handling Our Possessions. Using the Bible as a  guide, we’ll focus on the following actions that God calls us to take as we consider the material possessions he’s given us. 

• January 14 - Offer Thanks
• January 21 - Give Generously
• January 28 - Seek Contentment
• February 4 - Work Hard
• February 11 - Stay Humble

During the third service, we talked about why and how we can seek contentment. The text and recording of the sermon is below. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EST)

Seeking Contentment

A couple of weeks ago, we started a sermon series entitled God and Money: Five Principles for Handling Our Possessions. Now, at the time, I thought that was a pretty good idea. I mean, not only is this something that I think we can all apply, but since we were coming out of the Christmas season and let’s face it, bills and debt are a couple of the gifts that just keep on giving, since all that’s true, personally I believe getting a handle on our finances might be more than helpful. And as y’all remember, a couple of weeks ago, we started by talking about offering thanks, you know, something we can do through the words we use and the work we do. And then last week, we focused on giving generously, something that’s possible as soon as we accept that what we have is really a gift we’ve been given and a tool we can use. Now, that’s what we’ve covered thus far.

And this morning we’re going to continue this by looking at what I consider principle number three: seeking contentment, and I’m talking about being content with all the stuff for which we can offer thanks and from which we can give generously. And you know, it’s interesting; as I was starting to work on this message Friday afternoon, I was listening to the Broadway musical, Hamilton. Now, if you don’t already know, it’s about one of our founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, you know, the guy on the ten dollar bill. And one of the themes that sort of runs through the whole musical involves satisfaction. You see, right from the beginning, Hamilton recognizes something about himself, that he will never be satisfied. In other words, for him, there’s always something more, you know, another battle to fight or another structure to design or another essay to write. You see, he could never be content with the way things were, and so he was constantly pushing. And even though it led to enormous success both for himself and his country, it came at a cost, and I’m talking about almost destroying his marriage and the death of his son and ultimately him being shot by Aaron Burr. You see, in the musical, his lack of satisfaction had enormous consequences. And I’ll tell you, I think the same can be said for us. And even though I certainly hope it doesn’t cost anyone here their lives, I believe this constant desire for more can surely damage our relationships, both with the people we love and the God we trust.

And I’ll tell you, that’s the reason we’ll be talking about seeking contentment this morning. And as we’ve done with offering thanks and giving generously, we’ll look at why, why it’s important for us to seek as much contentment as possible. And then, we’ll spend a little time focused on how, you know, how we might become more content as we go about living our lives. Now that’s the plan for today.

And as I just said, we’re going to start by looking at why, why seeking contentment should be important for all Christians but particularly for believers who’ve been blessed with a little bit more than most. In other words, why might a sense of satisfaction be important? Now, as I’ve said before, I think that’s a pretty good question. And I’ll tell you, when we look at Scripture, I think we can find a couple of pretty good answers.

You see, first, I think contentment can help us control the distractions. I mean, it can enable us to see past, all that stuff we’d like to do and all those things we’d like to own. Put another way, the more satisfied we are, the more I think we’re able to put all these potential distractions aside so that they don’t become a jumble, cluttering up our minds and confusing our vision. 

And I’ll tell you, I think that was what Jesus was getting at when he offered a parable about a very distracted farmer.

So Jesus told them this story:

A rich man’s farm produced a big crop, and he said to himself, “What can I do? I don’t have a place large enough to store everything.”

Later, he said, “Now I know what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I can store all my grain and other goods. Then I’ll say to myself, ‘You have stored up enough good things to last for years to come. Live it up! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.’”

But God said to him, “You fool! Tonight you will die. Then who will get what you have stored up?”

“This is what happens to people who store up everything for themselves, but are poor in the sight of God.” [Luke 12:16-21]

Now that’s what Jesus said. And just think about what it means. You see, in the story, the farmer’s desire to sort of secure his life by storing up all his grain actually distracted him from doing some things that, in the vast scheme of things, were far more important and far more lasting than building bigger barns to lock in a better future that he’d never see. But you know, that wasn’t the only thing Jesus said about the importance of putting all the distractions in their place. In fact, a little later in this same chapter...

Jesus said to his disciples:

I tell you not to worry about your life! Don’t worry about having something to eat or wear. Life is more than food or clothing. Look at the crows! They don’t plant or harvest, and they don’t have storehouses or barns. But God takes care of them. You are much more important than any birds. Can worry make you live longer? If you don’t have power over small things, why worry about everything else? [Luke 12:22-26, CEV]

You see, according to Jesus, when it comes to how we view our material possessions, the fear of what might happen if we don’t have enough can be just as problematic as the dilemma of what we should do when we have more than we need. In other words, both genuine worry and unrealistic assumptions can distract us from what may be most important. But if we’re able to find a balance, a place of satisfaction, a sense of happiness in our own lives right now, well, maybe if we can do that, those distractions might lose some of their power. And for me, that’s one reason why seeking contentment is important.

And second, I also think being content can help us maintain our focus. You see, when we’re able to be satisfied with our lives as they are, even if they’re not what we’d like, then I believe we’ll be in a better position to see what both that farmer and that worrywart missed, and I’m talking about the love and the grace and the mercy of God. And I’ll tell you, I think this was something that Paul must have experienced when he wrote this:

Three times I begged the Lord to make this suffering go away. But he replied, “My gift of undeserved grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am. Yes, I am glad to be weak or insulted or mistreated or to have troubles and sufferings, if it is for Christ. Because when I am weak, I am strong. [2 Corinthians 12:8-10, CEV]

Now, that’s what I call both satisfaction and focus. But we really shouldn’t be surprised that Paul expressed this. I mean, just listen to what he wrote the Philippians:

The Lord has made me very grateful that at last you have thought about me once again. Actually, you were thinking about me all along, but you didn’t have any chance to show it. I am not complaining about having too little. I have learned to be satisfied with whatever I have. I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little. Christ gives me the strength to face anything. [Philippians 4:10-13, CEV]

You see, regardless of what Paul encountered he wasn’t distracted by his weakness or his suffering or his hunger. Instead he found a sense of satisfaction regardless of what was happening to him. And this enabled him and I’ll tell you, it can enable us to focus on the strength and the hope that’s always there in Jesus Christ. And for me, along with helping us control the distractions, seeking contentment helps us maintain our focus. And that’s why it’s important as we try to figure out what to do with all the stuff we have.

And as to how we can do it, you know, how Christians can actually seek and find contentment and satisfaction with what they have, well, I think it comes down to us intentionally doing three things. 

You see, first, if we’re serious about being more content, I think we need to appreciate what we have. It’s like the writer to the Hebrews said,

Don’t fall in love with money. Be satisfied with what you have. The Lord has promised that he will not leave us or desert us. This should make you feel like saying,

“The Lord helps me!

Why should I be afraid

    of what people

    can do to me?” [Hebrews 13:5-6, CEV]

Or, as the Apostle Paul wrote to his protégé Timothy,

And religion does make your life rich, by making you content with what you have. We didn’t bring anything into this world, and we won’t take anything with us when we leave. So we should be satisfied just to have food and clothes. People who want to be rich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps. They are caught by foolish and harmful desires that drag them down and destroy them. The love of money causes all kinds of trouble. Some people want money so much they have given up their faith and caused themselves a lot of pain. [1 Timothy 6:6–10, CEV]

Now that’s what Paul wrote. And I’ll tell you, I think it’s true. If we want to be more content, we really need to recognize we’re been given an awful lot. My gosh, as Americans, in reality, we may have far more than we actually need, and that’s why we’re able to waste about 30 to 40% of our food. That’s about 20 pounds of food per person each month. And that’s just what we eat. Although we may complain a lot, as Americans, we’ve been blessed; therefore, we have all kinds of reasons for being satisfied. And as Christians, man, we have even more. Good night nurse, we can trust in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and we can trust the love of God the Father and we can trust the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. I’m telling you, if we want to be more content, we can start by appreciating what we have. That’s one.

And second, we can also use what we’ve got. And even though we’re going to talk about the importance of hard work next week, I think it’s important to also mention it here. You see, I believe if we’re seriously about becoming more content, you know, more satisfied with what we’ve got, we need to make the conscious decision to take all those things and put them to use. And I’ll tell you, that’s something we can see in both the Old and New Testaments. For example, this was what the writer of Ecclesiastes said:

What do we gain by all our hard work? I have seen what difficult things God demands of us. God makes everything happen at the right time. Yet none of us can ever fully understand all he has done, and he puts questions in our minds about the past and the future. I know the best thing we can do is to always enjoy life, because God’s gift to us is the happiness we get from our food and drink and from the work we do. Everything God has done will last forever; nothing he does can ever be changed. God has done all this, so that we will worship him. [Ecclesiastes 3:9-14, CEV]

Now that was from the Old Testament. And according to the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans:

I realize God has treated me with undeserved grace, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you. A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. That’s how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.

God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can prophesy, we should do it according to the amount of faith we have. If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach. If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully. [Romans 12:3-8, CEV]

You know, I’m not sure there’s any better sign of appreciation than actually using what we’ve been given. And when we realize that there’s some bigger plan, some definite reasons for our possessions, reasons that go above and beyond personal comfort and pleasure, I believe our satisfaction with them increases. In other words, if we want to be more content, we can use what we’ve got. And that’s two.

And finally, third, if we want to amp up our contentment, we can also remember what we’ll receive. In other words, as Christians, if we can get a glimpse of our future, it just might help us be more satisfied in the present. For example, suppose we accepted these words from the psalmist:

Don’t be annoyed by anyone

who does wrong,

    and don’t envy them.

They will soon disappear

    like grass without rain.

Trust the Lord and live right!

The land will be yours,

    and you will be safe.

Do what the Lord wants,

and he will give you

    your heart’s desire. [Psalm 37:1-4, CEV]

Or suppose, we put ourselves in the place of that Samaritan who approached Jesus at the well:

Jesus asked her, “Would you please give me a drink of water?”

“You are a Jew,” she replied, “and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink of water when Jews and Samaritans won’t have anything to do with each other?” 

Jesus answered, “You don’t know what God wants to give you, and you don’t know who is asking you for a drink. If you did, 

you would ask me for the water that gives life.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where are you going to get this life-giving water? Our ancestor Jacob dug this well for us, and his family and animals got water from it. Are you greater than Jacob?”

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again. But no one who drinks the water I give will ever be thirsty again. The water I give will become in that person a flowing fountain that gives eternal life.” [John 4:8b-14, CEV]

In other words, suppose we accepted that our lives are in the gracious and loving and merciful hands of God and suppose we accepted that whatever we’re facing right now is only temporary and suppose we accepted that our futures are going to be glorious, suppose we accepted all of this, don’t you think that vision just might lead to a little bit more patience and satisfaction right now? Well, I do. And that’s why I believe that we can seek genuine, God-given, Christ-centered, Spirit-inspired contentment by remembering what we’ll receive. And along with appreciating what we have and using what we’ve got, that’s how we can get there.

Now, in the musical to which I was listening on Friday, Alexander Hamilton was never satisfied, and that cost him everything. And even though he accomplished great things, in the very last song, his widow wonders what he could have done if he hadn’t been shot in a duel when he was only forty-seven. But you know, as we consider how we might best handle our material possessions, that should never be an issue for us. You see, since we know it can help us control the distractions and maintain our focus, right here and now, we can decide to avoid the example of Alexander Hamilton by appreciating what we have and by using what we’ve got and by remembering what we’ll receive. And that, my friends, is why and how we can seek contentment. 

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The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, January 28, 2024

As we leave this holiday season, a lot of people find themselves facing some financial stress as they enter the new year. And for that reason, we’ve started a five-week sermon series entitled God and Money: Five Principles for Handling Our Possessions. Using the Bible as a  guide, we’ll focus on the following actions that God calls us to take as we consider the material possessions he’s given us. 

• January 14 - Offer Thanks
• January 21 - Give Generously
• January 28 - Seek Contentment
• February 4 - Work Hard
• February 11 - Stay Humble

During the second service, we talked about why and how we can seek contentment. The video of the service, a recording of the sermon and the bulletin we followed is below. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EST)

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Prayer Requests to be shared during Sunday’s service

On Sunday, January 28, Sligo Presbyterian Church will lift to God the following needs:

• Andrew Viglianco
• Arnold Bowser
• Barb Smith's niece
• Barbara Yarchuk
• Betty Milanovich
• Betty Phillips
• Betty Terwint
• Bob Varner
• Bruce Bowman
• Bus Clark
• Butch
• Carol Carr
• Carol Mason
• Cass' Neice
• Charles Truitt
• Chris Sibert
• Church Leaders 
• Colin Harzell
• Corbin
• Dan Kemp
• David Glatt
• Donnie Wirt Sr.
• Doug Marshall
• Duane Quinn
• Elaine Lerch
• Elaine Shadiow
• Ella Henry
• Francis Maines
• Gabe
• Haylee
• Jerry Shook
• Jessica Denison
• Jim Mahle
• Jim Mason
• Joe Amato
• Lana Todd
• Lisa
• Lori Myers
• Marcy Hall
• Mason Martin
• Maxine Hartle
• Maxine Simpson
• Melody Pryor
• Michael Curran
• Mike Hiles
• Nancy Wilson
• Noah
• Pam Bottomley
• Patty Divins
• Patty Selle
• Peg Watkins
• Randy Frampton
• Rick Shadiow
• Ron & Shelly Haines
• Ron Lerch
• Rose
• Ruth Hellams
• Rwanda Partner
• Shirley Barnes
• Stephen & Alice Lucas
• Tadd French
• Tamlynn
• Ted Saylors
• Tony Drass & Family
• Uncle Harvey
• Velma Stewart
• Wes Summerville
• Zach Schieberl

The Bulletin for the SPC Worship Service - Sunday, January 28, 2024

As we leave this holiday season, a lot of people find themselves facing some financial stress as they enter the new year. And for that reason, we’ve started a five-week sermon series entitled God and Money: Five Principles for Handling Our Possessions. Using the Bible as a  guide, we’ll focus on the following actions that God calls us to take as we consider the material possessions he’s given us. 

• January 14 - Offer Thanks
• January 21 - Give Generously
• January 28 - Seek Contentment
• February 4 - Work Hard
• February 11 - Stay Humble

During the third service, we’re talking about how we can why it's important to seek contentment and how we might do it. The bulletin is below. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EST)