gave them water to drink and food to eat in the form of manna sent from heaven, they grew tired of this diet and grumbled about it. When they faced mighty enemies, they moaned that the Lord had brought them all this way only to kill them at the hands of their enemies, rather than be- ing content to believe His promise to do precisely the opposite. All of this is roundly condemned in the Word, even as we’re told that it has  their spirit of discontentment or the grumbling it produced. But how we might wonder, are we supposed to be content when this life holds so many trials and, humanly speaking, uncertainties? Scrip-    that revolves around the love of money, calling us to be content with the lot the Lord has presently assigned to us in life, He lets us know why this is possible, adding, “For He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Heb 13:5; cf. Josh 1:5). How can we be content, even when we might not have all that we wish we had? By recognizing that, whatever else we may or may not have, we have the Lord - always with us, always ready to receive and refresh us, always assuring us that He is working it  of a Roman prison. Surely, he prayed and hoped that he would soon know better circumstances. Nonetheless, he could honestly say, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content,” adding, “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circum- stance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” (Phil 3:11-12). How was such an attitude possible for a man for whom bars and chains made up his present home? He lets us in on the answer, going on to say, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil 3:13). This, indeed, is the secret to godly content-  every place, the Lord is with us, upholding us, caring for us, and bless- ing us as He knows and does what is absolutely best to bring about the fulness of His design to glorify Himself by doing good to us. Is it valid to hope for better health, more income, improved living con- ditions, new or restored relationships, and the like? Most certainly. But, let us not allow our desire and humble prayers for such things to crack the underlying foundation of our constant faith and contentment in the Lord, trusting Him to withhold nothing that would be truly good for us,  be the case, the Lord’s unbreakable covenant promise always holds true, “I will make My dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people… I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor 6:16, 18). Yes, He has assured us, no matter what comes or doesn’t come our way in this life, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20). Let us not only confess it, let us believe it and so learn to be content, giving glory to Him whose very presence is our highest good (cf. Ps 103:28).


September/October 2024


“Not that I


have already obtained all this, or have already ar- rived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of


that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippi- ans 3:12).


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