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OCTOBER 28
you in the sight of God who gives life to all
things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed
the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that
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you keep this commandment without spot, 6:17–19 Paul counsels Timothy what to teach
blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appear- those who are rich in material possessions,
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ing, which He will manifest in His own time, He those who have more than the mere essen-
who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King tials of food, clothing, and shelter. Paul does
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of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has not condemn such people nor command
immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, them to get rid of their wealth. He does call
whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be them to be good stewards of their God-given
honor and everlasting power. Amen. resources (Deut. 8:18; 1 Sam. 2:7; 1 Chr. 29:12).
17 Command those who are rich in this pres-
ent age not to be haughty, nor to trust in
uncertain riches but in the living God, who 20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to
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gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do your trust, avoiding the profane and idle bab-
good, that they be rich in good works, ready to blings and contradictions of what is falsely
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give, willing to share, storing up for them- called knowledge— by professing it some
selves a good foundation for the time to come, have strayed concerning the faith.
that they may lay hold on eternal life. Grace be with you. Amen.
DAY 27: How can a believer find genuine contentment?
In 1 Timonty 6:6, the Greek word for “contentment” means “self-sufficiency” and was used by
Stoic philosophers to describe a person who was unflappable and unmoved by external circum-
stances. Christians are to be satisfied and sufficient and not to seek for more than what God has
already given them. He is the source of true contentment (2 Cor. 3:5; 9:8; Phil. 4:11–13,19).
“Having food and clothing,…be content” (v. 8).The basic necessities of life are what ought to
make Christians content.Paul does not condemn having possessions as long as God graciously pro-
vides them (v.17).He does,however,condemn a self-indulgent desire for money,which results from
discontentment.
“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation”(v.9).“Desire”refers to a settled wish born
of reason and clearly describes those guilty of greed.The form of the Greek verb for “fall”indicates
that those who have such a desire are continually falling into temptation. Greedy people are com-
pulsive—they are continually trapped in sins by their consuming desire to acquire more. “In
destruction and perdition.” Such greed may lead these people to suffer the tragic end of destruc-
tion and hell.These terms refer to the eternal punishment of the wicked.
“For the love of money” (v. 10). Literally,“affection for silver.” In the context, this sin applies to
false teachers specifically,but the principle is true universally.Money itself is not evil since it is a gift
from God (Deut. 8:18). Paul condemns only the love of it (Matt. 6:24), which is so characteristic of
false teachers (1 Pet. 5:2; 2 Pet. 2:1–3,15). “Some have strayed from the faith.” From the body of
Christian truth. Gold has replaced God for these apostates, who have turned away from pursuing
the things of God in favor of money.

the sword, and killed him whom the king of
OCTOBER 28 Babylon had made governor over the land.
3
Ishmael also struck down all the Jews who
were with him, that is, with Gedaliah at
Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found
Jeremiah 41:1–42:22
there, the men of war.
Now it came to pass in the seventh month 4 And it happened, on the second day after
41 that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the he had killed Gedaliah, when as yet no one
son of Elishama, of the royal family and of the knew it, 5 that certain men came from
officers of the king, came with ten men to Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria,
Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. And eighty men with their beards shaved and their
there they ate bread together in Mizpah. Then clothes torn, having cut themselves, with
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Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men offerings and incense in their hand, to bring
who were with him, arose and struck Gedaliah them to the house of the LORD. Now Ishmael
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the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to
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