“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Eccles. 3:11 ESV)

Eternity: Forever and ever, infinite duration, time without end, endless, everlasting, perpetuity.

God of eternity from everlasting to everlasting

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:2 ESV)

God inhabits eternity

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isa. 57:15 ESV)

Suffering and punishment of the unrighteous lasts for eternity

“They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” (2 Thess. 1:9 ESV)

“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matt. 25:46 ESV)

God gives life to last for eternity

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17 ESV)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24 ESV)

Therefore...

“May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!” (Psalm. 72:17 esv)

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.” (Psalm 41:13 ESV)

 “You must not covet your neighbor's house. You must not covet your neighbor's wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor." (Exo. 20:17 NLT)

Covet: yearn to possess or have something, to desire, crave, have one's heart set on, want, wish for, long for, hanker after/for, hunger after/for, thirst for, “even with all they have, they covet the wealth of others."

Coveting is the uncontrolled desire to acquire

To “desire” something isn’t a bad thing in itself because nothing can be accomplished unless you first desire to do it. You can desire good things such as to be more loving and to be more like Christ. It’s about having self control in what you desire. When a desire is uncontrolled, it becomes coveting. It’s such an important sin to avoid that it’s included in the Ten Commandments.

Coveting gives birth to sin

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15 ESV)

Coveting is evil and defiles a person

“And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20-23 ESV)

The love of money is coveting and evil

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1 Tim. 6:10 ESV)

Sexual immorality begins with coveting and is evil

“But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.” (Eph. 5:3 ESV)

Coveting hinders prayers

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:3 ESV)

The answer to coveting is godliness with contentment

“Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” (1 Tim. 6:6-8 ESV)

Therefore…

“I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:33-35 ESV)

 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matt. 11:15 ESV)

Pay attention to what you hear

“And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.” (Mark 4:24 ESV)

Faith comes from hearing

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17 ESV)

Listen with faith

“Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?” (Gal. 3:2 ESV)

Hear the Word and hold it fast

“As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:15 ESV)

“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness.” (Heb. 3:7-8 ESV)

Take care how you hear

“Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.” (Luke 8:18 ESV)

Hear the Word, accept it and bear much fruit

“But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” (Mark 4:20 ESV)

 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Heb. 13:8 KJV)

Same: The one and the very same, identical, not different, equal, changeless, consistent, constant, invariable, unchanging, unfailing, invariable, invariant, regular, steady.

God does not change

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Mal. 3:16 ESV)

There is no variation or shadow due to change

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17 ESV)

Now and for eternity

“To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.” (Jude 1:25 NIV)

God’s Word will stand forever

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Num. 23:19 ESV)

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Is. 40:8 ESV)

“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35 ESV)

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10 ESV)

Work heartily as for the Lord

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” (Col. 3:23 ESV)

Sow bountifully to reap bountifully

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Cor. 9:6 ESV)

Live quietly, mind your own affairs and work with your hands

“And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you.” (1 Thess. 4:11 ESV)

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Heb. 11:6 NIV)

We learn four important things from the above passage

1. FAITH: It’s impossible to please God without faith – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1 ESV)

2. BELIEVE: Those coming to Him must believe that he exists – “And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” (Gen. 15:6 ESV)

3. REWARDS: Those coming to Him must believe that he rewards them – “Because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.” (Eph. 6:8 ESV). 

4. EARNESTLY: Those coming to Him must do so earnestly – “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 15:16b NLT)

 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6 NIV)

The passage above tells us five things

1. Trust in the Lord – “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” (Psalm 28:7 ESV)

2. With all your heart – “"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut. 6:9 NIV)

3. Lean not on your own understanding – “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD.”  (Isa. 55:8 NIV)

4. In all your ways submit to Him – “Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.”(1 Pet. 5:7 KJV)

When you do the things above, you will receive the following promise

5. And He will make your paths straight – “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.” (Isa. 48:17 ESV)

 “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3 NIV)

The above passage reminds us of four important things

1. “In the morning” – Seek God at the beginning of the day.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt. 6:33 NIV)

2. “You hear my voice” – Remember that God hears your voice when you pray.

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” (1 John 5:14 ESV)

3. “I lay my requests before you” - Lay your requests before Him.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matt. 7:7 ESV)

4. “Wait expectantly” – wait expecting God to answer your requests.

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isa. 40:31 ESV)

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Gal. 6:9 NIV)

It is pleasing to God

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Heb. 13:16 ESV)

Commanded and encouraged

“Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.” (2 Thess. 3:12-13 ESV)

Be steadfast and immovable

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Cor. 15:58 ESV)

And finally

“Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.” (1 Thess. 4:1 ESV)