No doubt we all recognize this as the tenth commandment given by God to Moses and the children of Israel. God’s commandments stand forever and it is appropriate that we spend some time in meditating on this commandment in view of what we see happening in the world today. A recent report released by Scotland Yard in U.K. shows that over 80% of crimes committed can be traced back to this commandment in the beginning.

This word covet, means to desire to have what is not one’s own and usually has its foundations in envy. If this is allowed to go unchecked, it usually leads to discontentment, which then branches out into many forms of lawlessness. We see so much vandalism today, caused by the thought, “If I can’t have it, no one should”. We see so much theft which arises from “Why should I not have it”. It can lead to “keeping up with the Jones” attitude, which leads many families into debt; which cause arguments and discontentment and can even lead to trusting in riches and the desire to gain more, and can lead to forgetting God as it turns to idolatry. We begin to see why it becomes a sin in our life, as explained in Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conversation be without covetousness: and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” In effect we are showing discontentment with the Lord, by not being grateful for His blessings given unto us, and by such we turn our back on Him.

Christ in Mark 7, explained that it is the things that proceed out of a man that defiles him, he listed those evil things that come from within, and one of them was covetousness, so we see how careful we must be in our ways not to break this commandment. Some of the most dangerous first signs that we often hear is when a person is introduced to another and often the comment is made, “Oh, you must be related to so and so.” Yes, can come the reply, “But they are the rich ones in the family.” Or, one often hears it said “Oh, it is alright for them, they have plenty.” or “Oh, they wouldn’t know what it was like.” All of these show the first dangerous signs of breaking this commandment and if continued, can very easily lead on to gross discontentment. Christ was very specific in his warning in Luke 12:15. “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

We all should be constantly alert to watch for this sin in our life, because of the warning given by the prophet in Jeremiah  6:13. “For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness.”

If we can look to those things that our neighbour has and recognize that they are blessings from God and be thankful that the Lord has blessed them in that way, we will find that our lives will become much more contented and before long the words of that great hymn “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will ‘surprise you what the Lord has done’, will become part of our life and we will learn to respect other people’s property, as we will see them as God’s blessings, loaned to them by the same Lord who blesses us.

Several years ago, I attended a seminar on driving safety, which was particularly relevant to my job at the time, as it required frequent travel between different sites. One statement from the speaker has stayed with me ever since: “The eyes can’t see what the mind doesn’t know.”  He illustrated this with an example of a banana peel on the floor. Many people walked by without noticing the hazard, until one individual came along, picked it up, and threw it away. This example highlights that if we’re unfamiliar with something, we might not recognize it, even if it’s right in front of us. Indeed, our perceptions are influenced by what we have in our minds.

This principle also applies to our Christian faith. As Christians, it is crucial to nourish our minds with heavenly things, as we are instructed in Philippians 4:8,  ^“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Our behaviour is shaped by the belief (or faith) system we adopt. Therefore, what we feed our minds influences both our perception and actions. In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul reminds us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we can prove what is good, acceptable, and the perfect will of God. This means that cultivating a godly mindset allows more light to shine through our eyes (Matthew 6:22), “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”

It’s essential that we feed our minds with God’s Word, His promises, and teachings, so we can view our lives and circumstances from God’s perspective, rather than our own. It will also help us to see the spiritual hazards like the deceptions and temptations that were set before us by Satan.

As the hymn goes —

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,

live in me from day to day,

by His love and pow’r controlling

all I do and say.

As stated in Philippians 2:5-9, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name”, let us earnestly seek to have the mind of Jesus Christ. While the world may say, “Seeing is believing,” for us as Christians, the truth is, “Believing (having faith in Christ) is seeing.”

Each of us should use whatever gift we have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

We are called to live a life of stewardship – a life that reflects the hearts of Jesus. Stewardship is more than just managing our finances; it encompasses every aspect of our existence. It is a beautiful journey of caring for the abundant gifts God has entrusted to us. Stewardship encompasses our time, talents and treasures. In 1 Peter 4:10 we are urged, “Each of us should use whatever gift we have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” Our unique abilities to serve in whether they be in farming, art, music, teaching, or administration, are gifts from God, and He desires for us to use them to bless others and bring glory to His name. We are called to be a faithful steward of these gifts investing them wisely and using them to further His Kingdom.

If we grasp the essence of stewardship, it will transform our perspective on everything we possess. Our possessions are no longer objects of personal ownership but opportunities for kingdom impact. Our financial resources become instruments of generosity and compassion, enabling us to support our home, Church, and missions, meet the needs of the marginalized, and sow seeds of love and kindness.

Stewardship is a heart posture — recognition that we are not an owner, but a manager, of all that God has entrusted to us. It requires intentional living and making decisions with an eternal perspective. As we align our hearts with God’s desires, we find true contentment and freedom in stewarding His blessings.

May our hearts be filled with gratitude as we embark on this journey of stewardship, cherish the privilege of being entrusted with God’s abundant gifts and commit ourselves to faithful living, as we do so, we will experience the joy of partnering with our heavenly Father in His redemptive work knowing that our stewardship is ultimately an act of worship

This text can be a personal message, but can also relate to the many Christians throughout the world who, are like the widow, have been weakened through no fault of their own, and are oppressed and even persecuted who are pleading for justice. We can join with them by fulfilling Apostle Paul’s teaching – Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”

God’s righteousness and the pursuit of it, is the real theme of this parable. In His interpretation of God’s parable, Jesus brings justice and the coming kingdom of God into a close connection. There is a parallel here with Matthew 6:33 “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness”. In both cases, Jesus describes an active activity. Here the fervent prayer and waiting in faith, there the striving that should be the top priority of our activities.

The wait on God’s action. Even if the wait is only in a small question “Will He [God] make them wait long, is addressed by Jesus, but waiting characterises the entire parable. The widow pleads and fights without ceasing, waiting for her justice. When the waiting stops, the goal can no longer be reached. Anyone who stops waiting capitulates and gives up their goal. One challenge is the hint that God will act quickly to bring justice to those who are waiting. Different interpretations are certainly conceivable here. On the one hand, Jesus can use a different time scale (2 Peter 3:8), on the other hand, He can also refer to the fact that the kingdom of God can come within us at any time (Luke 17).

Transmission

In the text there are different ways to look at the topic of asking for and waiting for God’s righteousness. In any case, it is important to make it clear that God’s justice is about nothing less than our goal of faith, the kingdom of God.

Jesus suggests looking at our personal situation from the perspective of the widow. Are we steadfast in our faith to reach our goal? Do we ask, pray and wait? With what passion, with what emotionality do we do this? How important is faith in our life?

But it can also be interesting to look at our attitude from the perspective of the judge. Are we (like the judge) sober and unemotional observers of the faith happening around us? When we encounter God’s righteousness and kingdom in our lives, do we decide on a case-by-case basis what priority we give to that issue? How do we respond to the apparent injustice in this world? Can we remain emotionless, or do we suffer when people are persecuted, disadvantaged, abused, and oppressed? We have enough challenges these days, not only because of the war in Ukraine.

In the end, what remains is Jesus’ promise that God will create justice in this world and in the world to come. We do not know how this will happen, but we are allowed to believe that it will happen. Until then we pray: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”

Here is one of God’s “Woes” against His own people. There is nothing wrong with being “at ease” at the right time and right place. We all can be become restless with over-activity, and we experience strain and stress instead of finding the rest offered by our Lord. Matthew 11:29 “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” But to be “at ease” when there is work to be done is wrong, and this is a danger that faces us all. Compare Isaiah 66:7 “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.” Place these two statements side by side, and notice the force of the contrast:

Amos 6:1 – “Woe to them that are AT EASE in Zion!”

Isaiah 66:7 – “As soon as Zion TRAVAILED she brought forth her children”.

These statements are addressed to Zion, and Zion in the Scripture is the church of God. This solemn message is directed to God’s children and speaks of two possible conditions: – “At ease” or “Travailing” a condition of sadness or gladness, failure or fullness, displeasure or pleasure, lethargy or energy, slackness or wholeheartedness. We notice three things:

FIRST, A GREAT PRIVILEGE: The privilege here is to be “in Zion” – that is, in the church. It is a great thing to be called into the Church when many are outside of the Church. We should thank God for this. But for the Grace of God, we would be unconverted, unregenerate outside. Ephesians 2:12 “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” Amos’s message is not that certain people are “in” Zion but that they are “at ease” in Zion. We also see that Amos not only speaks of a great privilege but also…

SECOND, WE NOTICE A GREAT PROBLEM: What is God’s problem? Surely it is that after nearly two thousand years of Christianity so many people are out of Zion; 1) They are not practising Christians, 2) they are lost, 3) they are on the broad road that leadeth to destruction? No! That is not God’s primary problem. God’s problem is with His Own children. The prophet does not say, “Woe to the atheist, woe the agnostic, woe to the infidel,” but “Woe to those who are in Zion, but who are at ease!” God’s problem is not with the unsaved but with His Own children who are lazy, slack, indifferent and careless. To be “at ease?” suggests three things.

(i) SLEEPING – Let us get a mental picture of the present world situation – Tension, unrest, fear of war, increase in crimes, beastly things happening, the present pandemic cost of covid, etc. and, in the midst of this terrible situation the church is asleep! Amos 6, 1 & 4 Tells two characteristics of a sleeping Church: Firstly, those who are trusting in some outward or earthly privilege. The outward is more real than the inward. There is much outward profession but little inward possession. 2 Timothy 3:5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away”. We often place more value on external things than we do upon the inward, spiritual mighty working of the Holy Ghost! Secondly, verse 4 speaks of those who are pleasure loving, indolent and slack. Sadly, this applies to many Church members today! Yet the tragedy of the whole thing is that if the Church is asleep every other agency of the devil is wide awake and on the job.

(ii) SATISIFIED – if we read Amos 6:1-6 we see self-satisfaction and complacency is indicated. They are “in Zion”, but they are “at ease”, satisfied with things as they are, we see the warning to the Church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:17 “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” So rich and yet so poor. How true is it that we are content with the mercy drops when God is waiting to send the showers! Businessmen, sportsmen, politicians are not satisfied with half-measures, but many Christians seem satisfied with a cooled-down experience of Christ and do not want to be disturbed too much.

(iii) SECURE – The thought here is of being content with our own salvation and not having any concern for the salvation of others. Psalm 142:4 “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: Refuge failed me; No man cared for my soul.” And the parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:30-37. Do we pass by the unsaved day after day, and are we indifferent to their deep spiritual need? This, then, is God’s great problem, the problem of His Own children who are “at ease in Zion”.

THIRD, WE NOTICE A GREAT PRINCIPAL: There is never any blessing without travail. There are never any conversations without earnest prayer and hard work. No children are born apart from the suffering of the mother – no toil, no spoil! These are not only the laws of nature, but they are the laws of God and they operate in the spiritual realm especially in the realm of Christian service and revival.

In conclusion we read The Lord Jesus Christ, out of Love for our souls and for the souls of all men, set His face like a flint to go to Calvary….we can, dare we, as His followers, do less? Shall we disappoint Him? Let us rise; He who died for us watching from the skies; “Watching till his royal banner floateth far and wide, Till He seeth of His travail Satisfied.” ALL HONOUR TO GOD!

A time of expectation, for we are awaiting the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We do not know when this day will be, but we know our Lord said: “Watch and pray always lest this day come upon you unawares.”  In ancient days God promised His people a Saviour who would redeem them from their sins, who would be the anointed one of God. He would be sent down from Heaven, that God Himself could be manifested in flesh. When Jesus came into this world to commence His labour, the people heard the words of God which came through Jesus. Words of life that brought peace and contentment to the soul, for God promised an eternal life to the believer. Many people took heed to His word and were converted, for they saw in Him the fulfilment of the prophecies by the prophets concerning Him, which was that a Saviour would come into the world who would redeem them  from their sins. In Him was the stream of eternal life, words of life that were spoken by Him in humbleness and meekness, yet with authority.

Jesus taught, as we can read in St. John chapter 15:1-4 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.  Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bring forth fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” He said to His Apostles “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.  If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be given unto you.”

Jesus told His disciples “I go away and come again unto you.  If ye love me, ye would rejoice because I said I go unto my Father.  For my Father is greater than I and now I have told you, before it come to pass, that when it comes to pass, ye might believe.”  He had told them of His death and Resurrection; that He would be absent from their presence for a time, that He would come again, which was that they saw Him and spoke to Him after He arose from the dead.  He said He would not leave them comfortless, but that He would send unto them the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, who would bring to their remembrance all things that He told them. He said to His Apostles “Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken.”  It is the word of God that cleanseth the soul from impurities. Within the word is the sacrifice our Lord Jesus made by offering His life as an atonement for sin which purifies and makes perfect the soul from unrighteousness.

We are living in hope and are waiting for the fulfilment of God’s promises, the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, when He will descend from Heaven majestically and gloriously, with all His Holy Angels, to gather together the elect out of every kindred, nation and tongue.  So it behoves us to always remember the virtues of faith, hope and charity, for charity which is love is the fulfilment of God’s law.  Where such virtues are manifest, our soul is clothed in the raiment of righteousness.

We see that the Lord’s disciples were on a journey, just as we are on a journey through life. When the storm hit them, it must have been very frightening, as they realized it was beyond their capabilities to put a stop to it or even survive it. We read when they realized this, they had enough sense to call on Christ, who they recognized as their Master. They did not just tell Him, but we see the sincerity in their desperation in the words “Master, Master, we perish”. We see how He exerted His power to order the storm be still and there was a calm. We can see that although the storm was over, it is recorded how they were afraid at the power they had witnessed and Christ said unto them, “Where is your faith?”

This was done as an example for us as we travel through life. The disciples must have been so thankful to have had Christ with them. We too, must ensure that we invite Christ into our lives each and every day. We do this when we start our day in prayer. We strengthen this within us as we attend divine service, take into our mind the Word of God preached, which is Christ, and take part of Him and His spirit in the partaking of Holy Communion. Many storms confront us in our lives, crisis times when we feel we cannot cope. Breakdown in communication in our married lives. The cares of the world. The worries. The fears etc. Do we continue on believing we can go it alone? We do not need help! Or as the disciples of the Lord, do we recognize that the situation is getting out of hand, and in all sincerity, call on the Master and confess to Him, “We perish!” In a marriage crisis, if this is done together, before the matter gets out of hand, the Lord will, as He did with that storm, rebuke the storm in our lives and we will inwardly hear His voice, “Peace be still”. As Christ had disciples in those days to wonder and speak of His healing power, so today He has chosen men to continue with this work, and these should be sought out in time of crisis if support is needed. A very good example of this, we read in Acts 27, where Apostle Paul was confronted with 273 souls on a boat that was about to be shipwrecked, and he prayed for them and said, “Be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you.” They held to his word and were saved. We see therefore how important it is for us always to have Christ with us, to recognize when we need help, to recognize Him as our Master, to call upon Him to confess that to believe He will help, without Him we perish, and to thank Him for His love. To fulfil this, we must recognize His right to also ask us the same question He asked His disciples on that night of the storm, “Where is your Faith?”

These words from Solomon imply that we have to spend time in our busy lives to learn from God’s words and ways. In any learning there must be a textbook. Of course, for us, that textbook is the Holy Bible. Like all textbooks certain parts teach us special things and some are more relevant to the problem in hand. Some advice on how to approach this textbook is as follows.

How to read the Bible.

1) Pray before reading that God will help you understand — It is His Book.

2) Read the passage carefully and look for God’s message to you.

3) Think about what you read and answer to yourself some of these questions.

(a) What does this teach about God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit?

(b) What is it teaching me about life? (Command, promise, warning, is a change required in me?)

(c) What future promises can I gain?

 Some helps are found for the following situations.

• Accused wrongfully – 1 Peter 3:16
• Knowing God’s will – Proverbs 3: 1-6
• Angry and resentful – Ephesians 4:26-32
• Loneliness and fear – Psalm 23
• Assurance with God – Romans 8
• Peace of mind – John 14:27; Philippians 4:6-8
• Bitterness to others – 1 Corinthians 13
• Persecution – 2 Corinthians 4:8-18 and 6:3-10
• Coping with loss – Job 1
• Rest and peace – Matthew 11:25-30
• Courage needed – Joshua 1:1-19
• Rules for conduct – Exodus 20:1-17
• Danger – Psalm 91
• Salvation – John 3:16
• Doubts –     Psalm 42; John 20:24-29
• Seeking joy –     Colossians 3
• Discouragement – Psalm 34
• Sickness – Psalm 41
• Disappointment in others – Psalm 27
• Sin and guilt – Psalm 51;1 John 1
• Faith – Hebrews 11
• Sorrow – John 14; Psalm 46
• Forgetting blessings – Psalm 103
• Temptation – 1 Cor.10:13; James 1:2-18
• Frustrated and envious – Psalm 37
• Travelling – Psalm 121
• Future reward – Revelation 21:4
• World seems bigger than God – Psalm 90
• God seems far away – Psalm 139
• Worry – Matthew 6:19-34
• Guidelines for living – Matthew 5-7
• Investments – Mark 10:17-31

Isaiah 34: 16-17 “Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them. And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.”