On Contentment

I woke up last night about 2:30 a.m. There was a verse of Scripture that kept repeating in my mind, like the steady drip of a leaky faucet: ". . . The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21). It should not have come as any surprise to me to wake up in that frame of mind. After all, I went to bed earlier than usual last night, and fell asleep grieving over several personal "losses" I have experienced during the past year. Some were material [and financial]; some "professional;" and some - perhaps the ones that hurt the most - were "relational" in nature.

To be sure, there were many times during the past year when God clearly demonstrated His faithfulness, mercy and love to me. But, honestly, there may have been just as many occasions when I questioned all three. [And, dear reader, if you would be as half as honest as I am trying to be, you just might have to admit the same discontent]. Oh, how we love it when God is in a "giving" mode. And how quickly we sink into discouragement, depression and despair when God begins to "take away." It hurts to admit it, but sometimes I see myself like the Israelites in the wilderness following their miraculous deliverance from Egypt. Ten times in the narrative told by Moses in the Hebrew Bible Book of Numbers, Moses records that the people of God murmured and complained against God, and even rejected Him.

I do not believe I have crossed that line - though I confess, much to my shame, that I may have come close to it. I do know that I am learning important things about His sufficiency and about my need to be content. Interestingly, that contentment was something that even the Apostle Paul had to learn. "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:11-13). And so can I . . . and so can YOU!

For some reason, several times during the past few weeks the words of that beautiful gospel song, "He Leadeth Me," have come to mind:

Lord, I would clasp my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since 'tis Thy hand that leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict'ry's won,
E'en death's cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

When I finally got out of bed at 5:30 a.m., I had determined in my heart that one day, when all is "said and done," on that day what will be said of me is the same thing that was said of Job in Job 1:22, "In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong."

Oh, dear Heavenly Father, may those who come behind me [especially my precious sons], find me faithful - and . . .

Complete and content in Christ.