True contentment starts with peace with God. You can receive this peace when you accept Christ as your Savior. Without accepting Christ as your personal Savior, your life will be troubled, full of unrest and anxiety, always searching for "something". Ephesians 2:13 & 14 says without God you are without hope. God loves us all, and wants us to live an abundant, full, content life. But without the peace that comes only through Christ and His redemptive power can any one have that peace. The peace of God which comes through salvation will lead to true contentment. To learn more about having a personal relationship with Christ read the following scriptures: John 3:16-17; John 10:10; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8; John 14:6, John 1:12, Ephesian 2:8.
Peace with God, what's next in the search for contentment? As your personal relationship with God grows you learn to trust Him with your life. In this process you learn that God is sovereign so you can trust Him with your life in any circumstance. The sovereignty of God means God is God; He has no equal (Isaiah 40:25). "The earth is the LORD'S, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him" Psalm 24:1.
In God's sovereignty He...
- Directs your steps Proverbs 16:9
- God's works are perfect, even if He made them "crooked" Ecclesiastes 7:13
- God does whatever He pleases, with whom He pleases, and when He pleases Psalm 115:3
- No one can change or thwart God's will. He works out every event to accomplish His will Daniel 4:34, 35
- God determines whether you can do what you have planned Lamentations 3:37,38
I like to say, "if I can trust God to give me eternal life and save me from the depth of hell, I can certainly trust Him with the "little" day to day issues". Put your confidence in God, trust Him fully and then you can be content with whatever comes into your life. Life can be so much more simple if we can trust it to God, no worries, no concerns. Trust the King of Kings.
Sometimes it is hard to understand what God is doing in your life. Somestimes life brings hurts, grief, sadness, sickness...God does not always explain Himself. Know God has a plan and purpose for your life and He is fulfilling His will in your life. Isaiah 55:8-12 is a favorite passage for me in this area of the soverignty of God, is says "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than you thoughts..." Trust the God of heaven.
So, what is going on in your life right now? Things going good, or not so good? How is your attitude? Good, or not so good? Is God in control of your life, are you willing to allow the sovereign God of heaven to work out His plan and purpose for your life. God takes all the good and all the bad experiences in your life to help conform you to the likeness of God, Jesus Christ. Will you allow Him to conform you, make you into His likeness?
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaser, to give you a future and a hope." TRUST GOD!
Have faith, submit to God and His Word. You will then find true contentment and be able to rest in God as you learn to TRUST AND OBEY.
3 comments:
Dear Sisters in Christ,
One of my favorite Scriptures to assure me that God knows what I am going through is Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Vs.2 "Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea."
I have often felt that the earth was falling away beneath my feet as the storms of life have came at me. However, contentment and solice can be found in this scripture. I turn to it often when I am confused about the things I see happening around me and I know that God is surely in control IF I let HIM take control.
Peace be with you all,
Denise
I am loving this study soooo much! I hope you all learn as much as I am.
The Sovereignty of God is such a comfort to me. Knowing that He is in control and I CAN TRUST HIM give me peace, (when I focus on that!)Even the smallest detail is in His hand.
I love the question on page 17, "How can I grow spiritual from this experience and bring honor to Your name?" Pray that this will be my attitude through the day to day grind.
Love you all - Christen
I have been so encouraged by the first lesson on contentment. It is great to know that God is God and I am not in control of life or its circumstances. I have been so encouraged to know that no matter what is happening in my life that God is in control of all things. AND that He promises that it will all work together for good. God is so awesome and amazing and it brings so much peace to just rest in knowing that He is in control. I can let God be God and not try to control everything in my life. If I try to be in control it is only limiting what God can do in that particular circumstance. God is good all the time and all the time God is good.
Love,
Laura
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