“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)

“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)

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

Heartily: sincerely, genuinely, warmly, profoundly, with all one's heart.

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” (Eccles. 9:10 NIV)

Be fervent in spirit

“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” (Rom. 12:11 ESV)

Therefore…

“Rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.” (Eph. 6:7-8 ESV)

“For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” (Col. 1:29 ESV)

Out of gas on the Golden Gate Bridge!

Sometime in the later part of the 1970’s, I ran out of gas on the Golden Gate Bridge! I still don’t know how I hadn’t noticed that the gas gage was on empty, I usually pay attention to such things. Susan and I were in a small hatchback car with our small Son, Matthew, in the back, and suddenly we just ran out of fuel right there on one of the busiest bridges in the world! The engine just quit and we stopped without any power to move off the bridge. I couldn’t get out of the car to go for gas on the busy bridge. The situation looked hopeless. I felt panic rising up within me. And I breathed a desperate prayer for help. Then, suddenly, a large 4x4 pickup pulled up behind us, put its bumper to our bumper, and pushed us safely off the bridge to a place where we were able to get some gas. It was an amazing, seemingly miraculous, and most welcome rescue in our desperate time of need! As soon as we were in the clear off the bridge, the truck sped off as quickly as it had first appeared. We didn’t even get a chance to say “thank you” to the driver. The power of that rescue truck gave us the needed energy to move our vehicle when we had none of our own! In a way, that is a picture of how God rescues us with His energy in times of need. (Phil. 4:19).

Strengthened with all power

“May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.” (Col. 1:11 ESV)

God gives power to the faint

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 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. 40:28-31 ESV)

Therefore…

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

“Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” (Eph. 5:19 ESV)

Sing with a thankful heart

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Col. 3:16 ESV)

Sing with a steadfast heart to God

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!” (Psalm 57:7 ESV)

Let your heart overflow with a pleasing theme

“To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah; a love song. My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.” (Psalm 45:1 ESV)

Sing a new song of praise to the Lord

“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!” (Psalm 149:1-3 ESV)

“He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” (Psalm 107:20 KJV)

When a Roman centurion asked Jesus for his help because his boy servant was ill, Jesus offered to go heal him. But, the centurion told Jesus to send His Word to do the job. Jesus did, and the servant was healed.

Jesus sent His Word to heal the servant boy

“When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Matt. 8:5-9 ESV)

Jesus marveled at a Roman centurion’s great faith

“When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.” (Matt. 8:10-13 ESV)

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4 ESV)

Delight: pleasure, happiness, joy, glee, gladness; excitement.

How God shows His delight

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zeph. 3:17 ESV)

“But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jer. 9:24 ESV)

“He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.” (Psalm 18:19 ESV)

Delight in the law of the Lord

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:2 ESV)

“If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.” (Psalm 119:92-93 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)