Holy Contentment

                                                                  Psalm 30:11
                                              You have turned for me my mourning
                                                                  into dancing;
                                            You have put off my sackcloth and clothed
                                                            me with gladness.

Six months ago I fell over an uneven sidewalk and broke my kneecap. Needless to say, this was not on my list of things to do. Nor did I have time for surgery and months of recovery.

I wish I could say I walked in the way of Jesus the entire time of healing. I cannot. Many days I sat in the recliner with an ice pack on my knee, sulking in self-pity, rehearsing all I had to do.

However, this was not God's plan. He was about to put purpose in my pain. He had lessons for me to learn, changes to be made in my life. One morning as I sat doing my devotions, the Holy Spirit prompted my heart with two words; Holy Contentment. "Whatever does that mean?" I thought to myself. "How do I live a life of Holy Contentment?" What I have learned is;
                             The Lord is more concerned with our heart
                                         than our accomplishments.

When our heart is right with Him, what we had deemed as so important grows dim in all the Lord has for us to learn.

"And how do we keep our heart right with Him?" you may ask. The answer can be found in two Scriptures:

                          If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are
                          above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind
                          on things above, not on things of the earth. For you died, and your life
                          is hidden with Christ in God.                                Colossians 3:1-3

  
                           But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and 
                           all these things shall be added to you.                 Matthew6:33

God loves us too much to leave us where we are. Just as Christ showed us His love on the cross as a living sacrifice for our sins, Christ is continually molding us into perfection, that our lives might be a reflection of who we are through Him.

                            But now, O LORD,
                            You are our Father;
                            We are the clay, and You our potter;
                            And all we are the work of Your hand.
                                                                                    Isaiah 64:8

                            I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
                            that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable,
                            to God, which is your reasonable service.
                                                                                                        Romans 12:1

The next lesson the Lord showed me was;
                            Joy only comes with total surrender.

Only as I have surrendered this fall and all it has entailed to Him, has my joy returned. Just as the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10), the strength of the Lord is our joy!

As we surrender our all to Christ, regardless of the circumstances, we will find a joy that comes only through Him.

                         You will show me the path of life;
                         In your presence is fullness of joy;
                         At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
                                                                                  Psalm 16:11

Trust

                                                              Proverbs 3:5-6
                                            Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
                                         And lean not on your own understanding;
                                             In all your ways acknowledge Him,
                                                 And He shall direct your path.

"In life, it is not as important to understand as to trust." These were words written in my Mom's journal as she was watching her oldest daughter struggle with the horrible disease of cancer. Today would be Mom's 90th birthday. She ran home to our Father's House two years ago, excited to see my sister once again. She knew where she was going, and that Barb would be waiting for her.

I often think of Mom's strong faith and how it carried her through so many hard days. Never did it waver, nor did she question. She simply trusted her Heavenly Father, assured of His love for her.

The Lord has impressed on my heart so strongly that He always has a plan, and with that plan He has a purpose. We simply need to trust. So often we want to understand the why of things happening in our lives. Our Father tells us, "Lean not on your own understanding, but acknowledge Me." As you put your faith in Him, He will direct your path. This is a promise we can walk in, and in our walking hold tight to our Father's hand, allowing Him to lead. As we lean on Him, even in the midst of our hardest days, we will find a peace we can't explain.

                      The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
                      will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
                                                                           Philippians 4:7

May we be willing to let go and let God have His way in our life. There is purpose in all He allows. It is not as important to understand as it is to trust. He is our Father and He loves us. May that be enough.


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