If
we look to the world to bring us contentment, we are sadly disappointed. If we
look to our accomplishments, talents and successes, they fade over the years.
If we look to Jesus, we learn to be content in His presence within us, His
provision for us, and His works through us (Lamentations 3:24)
As
we savor the blessings of the Lord that He supplies all throughout the day, we
rejoice and find praises to Him filling our soul and spirit. Our longing is no
longer for things of this life, but for our deeper immersion in Christ, who
abides within us.
Gratitude
in the good times and the bad will bring contentment quicker than any other
virtue. We learn to allow patience to have her perfecting work in us (James 1:4).
We go with the flow of God's will for us, rather than resisting and fighting
every trial or circumstance.
The
Great Physician covers us with the blood of Jesus and delivers us through the
name of Jesus. We connect with the wisdom and strength and shelter from above,
and we have the courage to face whatever life throws at us.
Our
prayers inventory our requests to God, and He always hears each entreaty (Philippians
4:6). Even if we suffer physically through some illness or accident, we find
contentment in the presence of God's Spirit within us. He helps us to focus on
the positive (Philippians 4:8), and to look for the seed for a miracle that He
plants in every trial.
Loving
God with our whole heart, soul, mind and body (Matthew 22:37) changes our
perspective about life's circumstances. We no long fret, regret, or stress over
the issues in our life, because we trust the Lord with our whole heart (Proverbs
3:5-6). He is our soul's portion each moment of the day (Lamentations 3:24).
Prayer:
Father
God, teach us to worship You in spirit and in truth regardless of our
circumstances (Psalm 73:17). You are our Almighty and Sovereign Lord, and You
have a solution for all of our problems as we faithfully wait on You (Psalm
73:26). We see Your provision, even when we wait for days, weeks, months or
even years for its arrival.
Remind
us that we can enter Your rest, and stop stressing and straining to solve our
issues (Matthew 6:30-34). You care for the lilies, the sparrows, and all of
creation, but You care for us all, infinitely more than any of these. You
always provide for our every need in Your own timing and way. Help us to see
that we can "lean into" our trials, rather than wasting time
resisting them. Thank You for traversing them with us and in us.
Thought
for the Day:
Pursuing
God, rather than the things of this life, brings us contentment and fulfillment
that nothing in this world can offer to us; complete surrender to His will for
us gives us joy and peace, because He abides within us and carries us through
the unstable aspects of each day in which we live in this sin-filled world.
