Lenten Devotion – Be Contented with Food and Covering
Day 1, 14 February 2024 (Ash Wednesday).
“For we have brought nothing into this world so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with this we shall be content.” 1 Timothy 6:7-8
Paul spoke these words to Timothy to teach him how to instruct the churches in Ephesus. Ephesus was the leading city of the wealthy and populous Roman province of Asia, one of the most precious jewels in the empire’s crown.
Living in the world’s most “expensive city”, our context in Singapore is like the believers living in Ephesus. How do we guard our hearts from greed and be content with God’s provision of food and covering?
When I responded to God’s call to enter full-time Christian vocation, my father said to me, “Money cannot solve every problem, but never be without money.” I understood my father’s intent to carefully consider the Christian vocation path I have decided to pursue. With a starting pay of $1200 in 1997 compared to my peers earning close to $3000, I knew I had to depend on God for His provision.
Though Chin Ai and I may not have much, we have experienced God’s provision of food and covering over the past 23 years. Our first housing apartment was located beside Bukit Batok MRT station, which was convenient for us to go to church. We had the opportunity to study overseas in one of the best theological seminaries. God provided us with two lovely boys from Malaysia.
As I recount God’s provision of food and covering, I can rest in the goodness of God. Contentment guards our hearts from anxiety, the fear of missing out (FOMO) and the temptation to desire more than we need.
Ivan Liew