Confident contentment comes to you when you are willing to wait for it
There before you lie two paths.
One path offers quick, selfish gain. It requires that you to grasp for what others have. It leaves you insecure, living with discontent on low boil, not even knowing what it is you really want.
The other path promises everlasting joy. It requires that you deny yourself. It leads you to depend on and trust in your creator as you wait for confident contentment.
Confident contentment comes by faith and not by sight
The first path is by sight. Your hope is in ease without suffering in this life.
The second path is by the gift of faith that your God not only exists but rewards those who earnestly seek him. The lion’s share of this reward he promises will be complete in the life to come. He promises peace and joy will surround you as you wait trusting him even through suffering. You trust that God is developing character in you through suffering and patience. You trust that which he is working in you will see you through in confident contentment for all eternity!
Confident contentment comes through character building
This character keeps you from envying those who take the first path. You do all you can to influence them to come to Jesus for the rest that you have found in all that you do.
This character motivates you to endure to the end as you follow the only one who conquered death. Whatever you have been given to endure, your mind’s eye is on the prize of the Lord‘s presence with you here. Then, in a more full way, you are looking toward when he comes again.
He will take you who are eagerly waiting for him to the home that he has been preparing for you all along. As he gives you the faith to enjoy him here, he gives you the confident contentment to know that your hope is sure. He will give you the desire of your heart, a never-ending, sinless, friendship with him.
Those who reject this offer of grace and mercy, though they might look successful now, will have everlasting regrets. You are not complacent in asking that their eyes would be opened to see what you see and to hear what you hear. You ask that they would have abundant life now and forever. You ask that they not seek it for themselves but be willing to forgo quick and selfish gain to attain it. You ask that they would turn from the path of a lost sheep that has gone astray and follow the good shepherd. You ask that they would have confident contentment all the way home.
Singing Psalm 37 gives you confident contentment without complacency
Not complacent, you live to proclaim God’s worthiness to woo those who are lost. You were lost once but now know and love him. You want this for them too, not for yourself, but for his glory.
Jesus makes it easy to avoid the dark path of forsaking God. It’s futile misery to go after quick schemes entangled in disordered desires for yourself. Jesus helps you embrace the slow and sure path of light and life in confident contentment. You trust in, depend on, and wait for Jesus with eager expectation. You are waiting for Jesus to bring you home to a place of ever increasing joy.
“The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.
“Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
“The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.” ~ Psalm 37:23-24, 37-40
April 19, 2022
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