Contentment
Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full and deny you
and say, “Who is the LORD?”
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God.
(Proverbs 30:7-9 ESV)
Last week I sent a text message to one of my dear friends who I used to work with. I told her that I missed seeing and working with her. Her text back to me said “…Miss you!I think about you often and hope you are happy!”
I thought about the word ‘happy’ for a long time that day. I associate the word ‘happy’ with bubbly emotions, dancing for joy or contentment. My current job situation is a far cry from the state of happiness, but I can say that I make the best of each and every day. I can say with conviction that I am content.
I like the quote by Branon:
Contentment does not come from wealth—
It’s not something you can buy;
Contentment comes to give you peace
When you depend on God’s supply.
You see, when things at work don’t go the way I think they should, I think about God and His love for me. I think about His goodness and His provision. I know that God is with me every step of the way. He is with me on the mountain top and in the deep valley. God’s supply is far more than the daily bread, or any riches of this world. He gives me peace in all situations and helps me to be content.
“Lord of Heaven and Earth. You are my Rock, my Redeemer, my Peace. In You I can find the joy and happiness I need. In Your love, I live each day to the fullest. Thank You for making me content. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen.”
Lovely post my friend.
Thank you sweet Denise.
I wrote a long comment but forgot to click on a fruit. 🙁
Oh well …
Such words of wisdom Iris. Happiness is great when things are going well or there’s cause to celebrate. But much of life isn’t this way so it can be too easy to become discouraged. I love how Paul writes about the secret of contentment. He can do all things through Christ who is his strength.
I know what it is to be rich. I know what it is to be poor. But in the midst of whatever state I am in, I can have JOY! That joy comes from knowing that I am accepted and loved by my Lord. Jesus makes all the difference. I know the end of the Book and we are on the winning side. This life is just the beginning and I sometimes need to remind myself of this when I become discouraged.
Love,
Debbie