The Consumer in These Frenetic Times - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2025

Piety with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6 JND

The Consumer in These Frenetic Times
Abel is murdered and Seth is born. He names his son Enosh, which means “weak” or “mortal” man. The awareness of their own weakness and dependence drives believers to prayer: “Then people began to call on the name of Jehovah” (Gen. 4:26). The story of the descendants of Cain, on the other hand, is quite different—pride and self-confidence dominate the world. They build cities for themselves and increase their possessions without seeking the will of God (vv. 17–22).

We are all in danger of making our lives as pleasant as possible in the world where the Son of God became poor and had no place to lay His head (Mt. 8:20). Can these things be compatible? Nowadays, before you know it, with just a few clicks, you can spend a lot of money shopping online to buy attractive things that make life easier. Do you really take the time to check whether it might be God’s will? How easily does it happen to us! We do not seek God’s will and simply adopt the lifestyle of the world. Do we even acknowledge this? “Be not conformed to this world” (Rom. 12:2); this is a hot topic in our fast-moving consumerist times!

After 4,000 years of human history, the Son of God came to earth to dwell, or tabernacle, among mankind (Jn. 1:14). As each one went to his home, He went to the Mount of Olives (Jn. 8:1). There the heavenly Stranger spent many nights, while during the day He devotedly served the people. It was far from His intention to accumulate property in this world. On the contrary, He lived a very modest life, yet He was always satisfied because He had God as His inheritance (Ps. 16:6).

At the feeding of the 4,000, the Lord gave thanks both for the seven loaves of bread and for the few small fish that were brought to Him (Mk. 8:6–7). Although He gave generously in grace so that there was abundance, He was at the same time careful that nothing was lost and asked His disciples to gather up the remaining leftovers (Jn. 6:12)!

-- Philip Svetlik