- RSS FeedSubscribe
- « Previous PostHighway 5
- Next Post »Free Stuff Fridays
Reading Classics Together - The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment (VI)
- 07/23/09
- 21
I am on vacation this week and will be giving just an abbreviated look at this chapter. But let me begin by saying that this book really is a treasure. This chapter and the one before it have been nothing short of excellent and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next. There are not many books I read through more than once, but I am convinced that this will be one of them.
I am going to provide just a single extended quote. In this section Burroughs is teaching about the right knowledge of God’s providence, arguing that a proper understanding of God’s providence is critical to any who would find true contentment. He says, “there is an infinite variety of the works of God in an ordinary providence, and yet they all work in an orderly way. We put these two things together, for God in his providence causes a thousand thousand things to depend one upon another. There are an infinite number of wheels, as I may say, in the works of providence; put together all the works that ever God did from all eternity or ever will do, and they all make up but one work, and they have been as several wheels that have had their orderly motion to attain to the end that God from all eternity has appointed.”
He continues,
We, indeed, look at things by pieces, we look at one detail and do not consider the relation that one thing has to another, but God looks at all things at once, and sees the relation that one thing has to another. When a child looks at a clock, it looks first at one wheel, and then at another wheel: he does not look at them all together or the dependence that one has upon another; but the workman has his eyes on them all together and sees the dependence of all, one upon another: so it is in God’s providence. Now notice how this works to contentment: when a certain passage of providence befalls me, that is one wheel, and it may be that if this wheel were stopped, a thousand other things might come to be stopped by this. In a clock, stop but one wheel and you stop every wheel, because they are dependent upon one another. So when God has ordered a thing for the present to be thus and thus, how do you know how many things depend upon this thing? God may have some work to do twenty years hence that depends on this passage of providence that falls out this day or this week.
And here, by the way, we may see what a great deal of evil there is in discontent, for you would have God’s providence altered in such and such a detail: now if it were only in that detail, and that had relation to nothing else it would not be so much, but by your desire to have your will in such a detail, you may cross God in a thousand things that he has to bring about, because it is possible that a thousand things may depend upon that one thing that you would fain have otherwise than it is. It is just as if a child should cry out and say, ‘Let that one wheel stop’; though he says only one wheel, yet if that were to stop, it is as much as if he should say they must all stop.
That just smacked me right between the eyes.
And that’s all I’ve got to say. I’ll leave it to you to share what stood out to you through the rest of the chapter.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
Releasing on April 1, The Next
Published in 2008, this book
This is a guide that calls men,
This review of the bestselling
New to the site? You can get
This is a guide written
Comments (21)
Applying the truths in this book has supplied deep peace in my life - from my husband being laid off since April to facing eye surgery tomorrow afternoon. This chapter further shows how contenment can be found in any circumstance we are in and gives such an easy to grasp understanding of how God’s providence works all things for His purposes. I have the full quote on my blog, but here is one sentence from it that was a good reminder for me: “No more can you make the providence of God alter and change its course with your vexing and fretting; it will go on with power, do what you can.” What comfort to know that God is in charge and He does all things well!
Tim,
once again we have focused on the same section…and we must have been hit between the eyes with the same 2x4!
I wrote: When we fight against God’s providence in a certain matter we are like an infant trying to remove a wheel from the inner workings of a clock; we have no idea of the consequences of such an action nor of the way and manner of clocks. How much more infinitely complex is God’s ordering of everything which we call providence.
The rest can be read here.
Debbie,
that too was a quote that resonated with me! Thanks for sharing.
My overview and some additional thoughts on this chapter may be found here: http://lauriemo.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-christ-teaches-contentment-part-two.html
(If my schedule permits, I may add a post some additional thoughts later in the week regarding contentment and chastisement.)
This book is simply tremendous. If you’re lazy, like I am, and would rather listen to someone comment and expound on Burroughs, I would highly recommend going to sermonaudio.com and listening to Michael Phillips’ series. It is a series I have listend to multiple times for conviction and encouragement (because my heart and head can both be so hard).
I, too, focused more heavily on that particular section of the book. It really does help to meditate on the sovereign providence of God. Life’s happenings are not random, despite how they seem - and they DO seem. I, for one, have not pondered that enough lately and really needed to read this again.
Debbie, my husband was laid off in April as well, and is still unemployed. It’s been amazing to watch God order things in such a way that we’ve been provided for all along - it’s a miracle and yet we can’t point to the miracle. It’s the miracle of God’s daily providence.
I’ll pray for your surgery. Blessings and continued comfort to you.
The sections on God’s providence resonated with me as well. I suppose we all need to be reminded often that there really IS a reason why God allows things to happen as they do.
I particularly liked this section:
…So when God has ordered a thing for the present to be thus and thus, how do you know how many things depend upon this thing? God may have some work to do twenty years hence that depends on this passage of providene that falls out this day or this week.
It’s nice to know that God indeed has everything under control, and that the “afflictions” we’re suffering today have purpose.
I posted my synopsis of these last “3 lessons of contentment” in my blog post here.
Thank you Laurie for your prayers. Yes, the miracle of God’s daily providence! “So whatever we understand of God in providence, yet when Christ takes us into his school we come to understand it by faith in a better manner than we do by reason.”
Thank you for your encouragement Jude.
Terry ~ thank you for the information on sermonaudio.com. Since I will not be able to read for about a week or so, it will be helpful to keep up by listening to Michael Phillips!
Tim,
I have been reading along - and enjoying your comments. In fact, I have found myself spurred to deeper thought as I read through what you and others are gleaning from this ‘jewel’. I agree, this is a book worth putting on our ‘book shelf’ to be read over and over again.
I find myself concurring with everything Burroughs says. However, when faced with yet another challenge to my contentment, I find I have it more in my head than in my heart. This sends me to my knees praying for God to work this grace into my life. What a wonderful reminder of our dependence upon God!
Thank you for choosing this book, and for encouraging us to read along. I, too, am posting my thoughts on my blog so, Lord willing, many others are being encouraged and edified by your thoughts and those of the group who is reading and posting along with you.
Thanks, Tim!
Terry,I have a hard time getting things to stick in my holey head - so I am always looking for other ways to take in information. Thus, I was intrigued by your suggestion of Michael Phillip’s sermons. I am familiar with Sermon Audio, found the man, but could not find the sermons. Could you give me a little more direction here?
Thanks!
Tim,
That quote you gave is one that has been simmering on the back burner of my mind too, gave some understanding in how to pray about some concerns in my life.
Thanks
Tim,Thanks for your review and taking time out of your vacation to post this.
Burroughs says, “The last lesson which Christ teaches those whom he instructs in this art of contentment is the RIGHT knowledge of God’s providence”. To me this is the whole key to understanding contentment. Many times we have the wrong understanding of God’s providence. And I believe, the way that we keep our view of providence right, is by staying grounded in the word of God.
Also, one other statement that Burroughs made, that hit me like a ton of bricks, was this, “God’s ordinary coarse is that his people in this world SHOULD be in an afflicted condition.” Now, I have taught on the place of persecution and affliction in the believer’s life, but for some reason, the way he brought this forth it hit me hard. If our understanding is, to expect afflictions, and this is God’s providence for us, who are we to complain and gripe. May we accept every affliction as a confirmation of His great Love for us.
Patrick
Tim,Great thoughts and a great quote. The part that struck me most in this section was the last, where Burroughs explains that the ordinary course of God’s providence is to bring his children into afflictions. This is so obviously true from Scripture, and yet we who are affluent have not deeply learned it. We have a demanding and entitlement spirit because we assume that God wants to bring us OUT of our troubles rather then proactively getting us INTO them for our greater good and the good of others. As a Bible teacher at a Christian school, I see this more apparently when I take prayer requests in class. Almost none of my high school students asks God to give greater patience or holiness through trials. They only ask that God fulfill each person’s desires as they want them fulfilled. It belies our condition, a condition which deeply afflicts me too. Oh how much more deep and satisfying would all my relationships be if we knew and were content with God’s ways in this.
Why is there no author anywhere? who is this book by?. Thnxs.
Victor,It’s Jeremiah Burroughs
Thnxs Laurie M. :D
Lerrina,Here is a link to the Michael Phillips sermonsI haven’t listened to them yet but plan toohttp://www.gracebaptist.ws/sermons/Search.php?Keywords=contentment&Sort=&Series=All
After I finished reading this chapter earlier in the week, I ran into a friend who is sorrowing over her daughter’s serious illness. I shared with her the illustration of the clock and its wheels. Each wheel is needed for the clock to run properly. So it is with our trials - we do not understand how they fit into God’s overall plan but because of His great power and wisdom and love we know they have purpose. My friend was comforted with that marvelous truth and wanted to read the book. It is such a privilege to be part of His family and learn these lessons.
Since some have had difficulty finding the sermons I mentioned on SA, I did not even try to locate them there but went instead to his church’s site which mirrors much of the sermons on SA. This link should work…
http://www.gracebaptist.ws/sermons/Search.php?Keywords=contentment&Sort=&Series=All
Thanks Terry, I just listened to the first sermon - it was very good.
When I first started reading this text, I had a fairly strong, near negative, reaction, as 20 years of business owner raised its hackles.
It seems that at the root, God was there to make me successful. I experienced success, I even attributed the success to God. But it was, in my mind, something that I did. This intricate lie was carefully woven, by Satan, so that, at the end of the day, I was essentially a lover of money, and self. Yet, I would verbalize quite the opposite.
When God chose to remove significant chucks of “my” wealth, back in October of 2008, I hit the lows of my lows.
How could it be that I spent 20 years of my life, doing the right thing, being always honest with people, working hard, only to have 45% of it taken away?
I was mad, confused, and alone.
Slowly, over time, God has been rebuilding my foundation. Now, a newly formed business has nothing to do with me. I serve at the pleasure of God, I continually ask God to go before me, as he did so many times with the Israelites, and my continual prayer is that God would keep me chained by his side so that I might not be swallowed again with pride, and idolatry.
The healing isn’t complete, the wounds are still seeping, but the sweet balm of my Father’s words bring me great comfort.
I have not contentment, but now I can see what contentment looks like. I can see its shape approaching me in the mist, and I am greatly desirous to spend some time at the table with it. To learn, to understand, and hopefully soon, add the badge of contentment to my armor, never again to leave my God with such contemptible pride.
Oh how I long to be out of the woodshed of God’s discipline. Learning contentment is clearly one of my ordained duties.
Toni,
Thank you!
Lerrina
I fell behind for a time but have just completed Chapter 7 so I am back with the group. I am limited on time tonight but will have some comments on that chapter tommorow.
Like others have commented, I too have found application for the clock and its wheels analogy multiple times since reading 6.
I love Burroughs analogies about Joseph being in a pit prior to ruling Egypt, David being “chased like a partridge” prior to ruling Israel, etc. These are such meaningful reminders for me right now.