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Allegedly, a reporter once asked John D. Rockefeller, who at the time was one of the wealthiest men in America, “How much money is enough?” to which Rockefeller supposedly answered, “A little more than I have.” Such a response is fascinating but not the least bit surprising. Even though we don’t care to admit it, most of us are consumed with the endless endeavor of consuming a little more. It is indeed a vicious cycle of consumerism that can only be broken when we become content with what the Lord has provided and what the Lord has taken away, in His sovereign wisdom.
I recently completed a study of the book of Joshua, and while midway through, I came upon a magnificent passage amidst the record of the division of land among the twelve tribes. In 13:33, it is recorded: “But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them.” As a pastor in the twenty-first century and in the spiritual line of the Levitical priesthood, I was deeply humbled and delighted to read of the glorious inheritance of the Lord’s ministers in the Old Testament. Although the Lord commanded the other tribes to give the Levites cities in which to dwell, thus demonstrating the Lord’s care for the physical well being of His ministers (Josh. 21), their inheritance was far greater than that of the other tribes — they were given the Lord Himself as their inheritance. Their lives were dedicated to the Lord God Almighty, and with beautiful accord, the Lord God Almighty dedicated Himself to them.
In similar fashion, at the very beginning of the historic formation of God’s covenant with Abraham, the Lord God Almighty came to His servant in a vision and said, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Gen. 15:1 NKJV). There is a reason Abram did not need to be afraid, neither of the vision nor of anything else — for God Himself was his shield, his Guardian, his Protector, and, what is more, his exceedingly great reward. The Lord God Almighty declared that He Himself would be Abraham’s reward. Nothing could be more glorious, and indeed nothing could be more humbling. By His same grace, God has placed us in the spiritual line of Abraham, making us his true heirs of that same, exceedingly great reward, leaving us with no desire to ask for more.