Be Content

BE CONTENT
HEBREWS 13:5
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. “

“Contentment is the tranquility of the soul being satisfied with what God has appointed,” said a noted Bible Commentator of the past, he added, “it is the opposite of a grasping spirit which is never appeased.” Another said, defining contentment, “it is a gracious disposedness of mind arising solely from trust in and satisfaction with God alone.”
We must, as we submit to Him, “keep our hearts with all diligence.” Keeping out the terrible sin of covetousness, which breeds discontentment, and keeping in the virtue of contentment, cultivating it as a farmer would cultivate seed planted in the soil, this cultivation likewise requires a watchfulness that is not our natural way. We must be diligent in this task; “keep” implies a guard set to watch and be ready to confront any and all who would enter. In the same way, we must diligently question every desire that would seek entrance, seeking identity and proper credentials of all, lest unwanted, unwelcome passions sneak by to hurt our spiritual growth.
Our values must be established and set as scales, weighing each of God’s dealings with us, that our spirits rise not in prosperity too highly, nor sink too lowly in adversity, for we have Him and He will never leave nor forsake us. Come what may, He will be at our side as a Paraclete (Comforter), in one sense; and in another sense within us as the ever-present Help in time of need, for He has sent the indwelling Spirit to be the “Other Comforter” He spoke about, coming to us from the Father.
The spiritual value of this cannot be estimated, for it enables us to endure all that we are asked to endure, to accomplish all we are asked to accomplish and receive from the Lord blessings beyond what we have asked or even thought. When we consider that God graciously answers our prayers, we mean that sometimes, He graciously says “yes,” and at times, He graciously says "no,” but when He does, He adds, “there is something better for you,” and at times, He says “yes, and here is more than you asked or thought.” Let us never fail to thank Him, with grateful hearts, for our Heavenly Father will not fail to meet our every need.
In His Marvelous grace,
Pastor Ed Bowen