I need to make a correction with yesterday's post. I started out talking about 'comfort' but then switched to 'contentment.' We talked about contentment in Women's Group, but the subject of Sunday's sermon was comfort. Somehow, I meshed the two together. Like I've said in the past, I sometimes still experience these chemo-brain moments. (Maybe I should face the fact that they're really senior moments.)
Speaking of senior moments, for the life of me, I can't think of one thing that I was going to write about this week. Yesterday I was full of ideas, but did I write them down? No. No, I did not.
So, I paused and read Psalm 37:1-11 ESV:
Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.
Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.
You can read the rest of the Psalm here.
This whole passage describes what we need to do to be content. How often do we look at others and wish we had what they had? It doesn't even have to be material things. I used to be jealous of a woman who didn't have to work. She wasn't a 'housewife' either. Her husband worked full-time, took care of the house, cooked, ran errands, and did the laundry. She was free to do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. What I didn't see was the downside of that. They had no relationship to speak of. She wasted most of her life sleeping. Now, because of how she lived, she has all of these health issues and can't do much of anything even if she wanted to. Why would I want any of that?
I want my life to have meaning and the only way to do that is to serve the Lord. That means sharing the gospel, praying, reading my bible, reaching out to others. God has a reason for putting us in the situations He puts us in. It may be so that we meet that one person who needs to hear our story. That person then may reach ten people, and each of those people may reach thirty people. We may not know how God used us to plant seeds until we get to Heaven but we can be satisfied and content knowing that our individual lives each have meaning. Pray without ceasing that His will be done. Then, you will know contentment.
This whole passage describes what we need to do to be content. How often do we look at others and wish we had what they had? It doesn't even have to be material things. I used to be jealous of a woman who didn't have to work. She wasn't a 'housewife' either. Her husband worked full-time, took care of the house, cooked, ran errands, and did the laundry. She was free to do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. What I didn't see was the downside of that. They had no relationship to speak of. She wasted most of her life sleeping. Now, because of how she lived, she has all of these health issues and can't do much of anything even if she wanted to. Why would I want any of that?
I want my life to have meaning and the only way to do that is to serve the Lord. That means sharing the gospel, praying, reading my bible, reaching out to others. God has a reason for putting us in the situations He puts us in. It may be so that we meet that one person who needs to hear our story. That person then may reach ten people, and each of those people may reach thirty people. We may not know how God used us to plant seeds until we get to Heaven but we can be satisfied and content knowing that our individual lives each have meaning. Pray without ceasing that His will be done. Then, you will know contentment.
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Please join me this week in praying for contentment for ourselves and others. May we rest in the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ come to know Him. Pray that we recognize the daily blessings that God bestows on us. He provides for all of our needs. Let us be thankful for having food, water, shelter, and clothing. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace.
I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power
#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #contentment #peace #hope #prayer #faith #love #sufficient #needs #ChristAlone #correction #retraction #Psalms #purpose
