God’s promise for Week 4:
“My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:19
For those who want further Scripture reading each day here are a couple of suggestions:
-Read one Psalm a day and meditate on it.
-Read a chapter or part of a chapter out of Acts or Matthew or Hebrews each day, focusing on the idea of faith.
Day 25
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’" (Hebrews 13:5)
Contentment is as elusive as the wind here in this ‘land of stuff’ that we live in. We are knee-deep in advertising that just won’t let us rest. “My hips are too big, my hair needs a new style, our car is out-dated, the couch is the wrong color, the carpet clashes with the bedspread, the towels don’t match the countertops, the house is getting run-down, my job doesn’t pay enough…�? The call of ‘stuff’ is never silent. It is a constant effort to be content in all circumstances, in this land of comfort and ease. Isn’t that ironic? We are one of the most blessed nations on earth and yet we are entirely malcontented. How much time do we spend thinking about the next promotion or the next raise or the next house or the next car? How little time do we spend thinking about how wonderful is it that our children go to school, drink clean water and have a warm bed to sleep in at night? When I first read this verse, I found it interesting that the idea of contentment is connected with the promise that God will never leave us. I think the secret to contentment lies in letting this promise replace the strident voice of ‘stuff’ in our lives. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." This truth should be enough for us. It is in this truth that we can be content no matter what is happening around us. It is not only during the times of pain and struggle that we need to cling to it; it is also for the times of prosperity and comfort, which for us in this part of the world, is most of the time. God’s presence in our lives and our belief in His promise that He will never leave us is the key to contentment. Even if every other comfort in my life was taken away, this would be enough. Instead of trying to keep up with the elusive call for more ‘stuff’, let’s “be content with what we have". “What we have" is God in our lives and that is more precious than anything else.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to value your presence in my life more than I value anything else. Help me to rest in the fact that you are always with me.
In Faith:
Pray for your “hopeless cases" once again!
