"I have
learned in whatsoever circumstance I am therewith to be content."
Paul speaking in a letter to the church in Philippi.
"Let your
conversation be w/o covetousness; and be content with such things as
you have, for He has said, 'I will never leave you, nor forsake you."
Peter writing a letter to the church in Jerusalem.
"Be
strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or
discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you." David
speaking to his son Solomon, on the building of the temple of God.
THE WORD OF
GOD IS ALIVE BECAUSE THE WORD OF GOD IS JESUS CHRIST AND HE IS LIFE
ETERNAL. What was written to others then is written to us NOW.
The Bible
is not a dusty manuscript, nor is it only a 'dead sea scroll': IT IS
THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD. JESUS CHRIST is the LIVING WORD OF GOD. And
when GOD speaks, that is THE SPOKEN WORD OF GOD.
When we read
our Bibles aloud, or hear The Word spoken by those who teach it or
preach it, then we are hearing GOD speak. Do not listen to the voice
of the one speaking or preaching: LISTEN TO GOD.
We are all
accountable to GOD for what we HEAR, what we SAY, what we SEE, what
we DO, what we TOUCH.
See the
first three words in the first verse? I HAVE LEARNED. Paul had been
through much for the sake of the gospel and he wrote them that HE HAD
LEARNED. Learning to be content in every situation, not wanting what
someone else had, regardless of where he was or what conditions his
living arrangements, if any, were like.
PSALM 23:2a
“He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” Through a learning
process, I have been made to lie down in the greener pastures of GOD.
I would like to say that I have learned to be content, but when we
see a beautiful garden or a wraparound porch or a lovely vacation
home in the mountains, I have found myself saying, “I want that”
or “I wish we could do that”. That is envy rearing its ugly
little head into my life. I am still learning to be content in all
things; but I do believe I am getting there.
When a
shepherd needs to train a wandering sheep who keeps escaping through
fences or keeps falling off the cliff-side in search of sweeter
grasses, he breaks its leg gently. GOD does not break our legs in the
same way as this. What God did was to send His Holy Spirit to the
believers who earnestly desired to be comforted and strengthened
after Christ returned to heaven. They needed Someone to guide them in
the ways and the will of God until Christ's return.
To hear God's
Word when it is spoken, The Holy Spirit must draw you nearer to God.
Often one of the first ways He does, is to prompt you to stand up
and walk down the aisle of the church-place you are in and get on
your knees. The Holy Spirit will gently lead you to Christ, perhaps
through another person who will offer to pray with you, and then to
God. Becoming a born-again Christ is not difficult; the hardest
thing you will ever do on that leg of the journey is take that first
step. It is the steps we take after we stand up that could become
more difficult.
To have
God hear your words, you must have received Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior of your life and everything that pertains to your life. He is
King of all kings and Lord of all lords; there is none higher, none
greater, no one outranks Him. For even His own Father has said that
we are to WORSHIP CHRIST. Everything we do in our lives should
reflect Jesus Christ.
How does
My Shepherd MAKE me to lie down in green pastures? He calls to me and
while at the first few times I will respond, it is when I am farther
away from His voice that I do not respond quite as quickly nor as
affectionately. So He must come after me and lead me back to His
side. I am learning to be content in His pastures. Reading His Word
daily keeps me near Him. While in the beginning of my newly
born-again life, which began a mere 20 years ago (I was saved when I
was 34), I was content to just read my Bible, it became clear right
away to me, that I needed more. So I began to study, and when that
wasn't enough, I began to seek the baptism of The Holy Spirit; just
like they who gathered in the upper room in the Book of Acts, waited
and prayed to receive The Comforter Who had been promised to them by
Jesus.
And I was
baptized after many days of prayer and hearing The Word of God being
preached by an evangelist who had visited our church. The devil tried
to keep me away by having me work one or more of those nights, but
God had a plan for me down at that altar, and He made a way yet again
for me to receive what He had promised for me.
To be
content in all things, to be able to be at peace in every
complication, is something I am still working on. I have anxiety, I
get panic attacks; sometimes they are pretty bad. So my husband is
learning how to recognize them. Even though my heart races and I
can't catch my breath and I can't talk or communicate in any way,
these attacks can be mistaken and diagnosed otherwise. They are not
heart attacks, nor am I stroking out; it is not even 'malaise' as one
such ER doctor put it. They are rare, but they do still happen.
And yet,
on some level, I am at peace because I know that God Is With me.
Because I believe Him when He says He will never leave me, nor
forsake me. I believe God when He says He loves me and will always be
near me. I believe God and that's what keeps me in His greener
pastures. Do you?
