Letyourconversationbewithout coveteusness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 
               Hebrews 13:5

Fellow Believers,

It was shortly after the Israelites had left Egypt that God swore in anger not to let them enter the Promised Land. God was furious with them because, when they thought they had no water to drink, they complained and said, "Is the LORD among us, or not?" (Exo. 17:7). With hindsight, we can criticize the Israelites for their lack of faith. But if we ourselves were therehot and thirsty in the midst of a desert without any water in sightwe would probably have grumbled as well.

My point is: Contentment is something easier to preach than to live out. True, we believers no longer chase after the things of the world, and we sincerely do not consider ourselves to be covetous. Nevertheless, we seldom are truly satisfied with the lot God has ordained for us. Somehow, we so want things to be better in our home, our church, our workplace, etc. that we spend much time and effort trying to bring about some changes. Without realizing it, we are in effect doubting God's promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

How, then, can a child of God attain true contentment? One answer, I believe, can be found in the letter Paul wrote to the Philippians when he was chained in a Roman dungeon. While thanking them for having sent him a gift, Paul goes out of his way to stress that he is not in want of anything. He explains, "For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content" (4:11).

To be content in whatsoever state we are, you see, is something we have to learn. We have to learn that Christ, as our personal Lord, is in total charge of our life. Everything that we encounter happens only because He has sovereignly prescribed it for us. Having loved us enough to die for us, our Lord would never will anything to hurt us. And because He knows the end from the beginning, His plan for us is infinitely better than our own. There might be periods in our life that seem unpleasant. But whether they are meant to discipline us or not, they will pass in God's perfect timing.

Once we take hold of this truth, we'll begin to enjoy the true blessings of having God as the master of our life. Our Father not only knows best, but is absolutely able to effect whatever is best for us. When and if it is His will to do so, God the Holy Spirit will move us to do what we need to do to get a better job, a nicer home, better health or whateverprovided we abide firmly with Christ and His word. Meanwhile, contented with such things as we have without trying to change them, we can better love and serve our Lord.
 
 

Tom Holt, Editor

 
Third Quarter, 1997

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