Living in Contentment

As we live in the presence of God, and enjoy the still, quiet moments of our devotion time each day, then our schedule, to-do lists and responsibilities fade into the background of our mind.

Cleansing our soul and life, of dead works and all negative emotions, enables us to freely hear God's voice. Unhindered by the destructive influence of the devil's lies, we walk in the Spirit. ( www.theophostic.com )

Continually praising God for His provision in our life teaches us gratitude for what we have, which overshadows our longings for what we do not have. We learn contentment at His feet (Philippians 4:11).

While we praise God for who He is, for His blessings and for His perfect plan for our life, we consult Him throughout our day and hear His will for each moment of our life (Proverbs 3:5-6).

This way, when work deadlines, emotional turmoil in our family, rushed schedules, slander and false accusation, and a lack of fulfillment in our life all upset our sense of stability, we have God's Spirit to return our soul and spirit to peace and rest (Hebrews 10:4).

Once we learn to live in the gratification and fulfillment, which walking in the Spirit afford us, we never go back (Galatians 5:15-25). If life pulls us from the shelter of God's wings, we scurry back under the shadow of our Almighty God (Psalm 91:1,4).

We accomplish more in our day under the instruction of God's Spirit than by the direction of all of our lists, calendar reminders and sticky notes. The light of God's Son brightens each step of our way (John 14:6).

Prayer:

Father God, draw us to Your side and never let us go. Wrap us in Your everlasting arms and help us to experience the contentment of living in Your presence (Deuteronomy 33:27). Lead us to accomplish Your will, rather than our will, for every moment of our day.

Remind us to look for divine appointments to share Your love with people we meet. Help us never to look past someone who may need Your light in their life, simply because we are too busy. Our days are numbered, and we want to live each one of them in the center of Your will (Job 14:5; Psalm 39:4).

Thought for the Day:

As we contentedly dwell in the Kingdom of God and seek His will for each moment of our life, God provides for all of our needs. - Luke 12:31-32

Alone in Silence

Read: Matt 14:22-23

“Let him sit alone and keep silent, because God has laid it on him;" - Lamentations 3:28

So often we rush through life meeting deadlines and using up every ounce of human effort we possess. We slug caffeine to wake us up, and then some pills to quell the headaches produced by a hectic lifestyle, and yet another pill at night to put us to sleep. We depend on self-effort to deal with whatever life throws at us. We mistakenly think that nothing will ever get done if we do not do it. We forget that God does not leave us abandoned in this world. He does not call us to work for Him, but rather for us to allow Him to work in and through us.

When we sit alone, we are never lonely as long as the Spirit of God resides within our spirit. When we craft deliberate times during our day to be alone - "all-one"- with the Lord, He readily meets us right where we are. We can be united with Him, engulfed by Him and filled through all of our being with Him. We can be one with Him while walking on the sunny beach listening to the lulling cadenced of the swishing surf and the call of gulls floating on the breeze, or while driving in rush hour traffic commuting to and from work, and also as we move through the routine of our daily life. God is always within us, ready to commune with us whenever we give Him the chance. All it takes is for us to silence the cacophony within and without; and then to focus all of our attention on His Spirit in us.

It is evening now, and all of my chores are done. I hear my husband’s contented snoring in the bedroom. Crickets chirp outside of our office window with an occasional frog adding his opinion to the conversation. Once I finish writing this blog, I look forward to nestling into my fluffy recliner, wrapping in my furry afghan and taking time to enjoy concentrated “all-one” time with Jesus.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, my soul waits silently for You, because You are the source of all of my joy. My soul finds rest in You alone; my salvation comes from You (Psalm 62:5). Help me to enter that quiet place within my spirit all throughout the day, no matter what responsibilities claim my time, so that I can focus on You and enjoy fellowship with You every moment of my life.

Thought for the Day:
The essential ingredient for growing closer to Christ is silent time alone with Him.