Mary Southerland "We all long for contentment. People know very little about contentment because they seek it in all the wrong places.
Food, Alcohol, Drugs, Career, Sex, Relationships, Money
The list is daunting … and absolutely useless when it comes to seeking peace and contentment. The heart of contentment is wrapped around the promise found in Psalm 23:1, a truth that is staggeringly important to remember in order to experience a contented life. (Google image, Contentment)
“The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1, NIV).
The Lord is my Shepherd, so I will not want. The word “want” means “lack.” In other words, we will lack nothing. Every need in our lives will be met. Our Father, the Good Shepherd, will see to it.
A famous actor was once the guest of honor at a social gathering where he was asked to recite favorite excerpts from various literary works. An old preacher who happened to be there asked the actor to recite the twenty-third Psalm. The actor agreed on the condition that the preacher would also recite it.
The actor's recitation was beautifully intoned with great dramatic emphasis for which he received lengthy applause. The preacher's voice was rough and broken from many years of preaching, and his diction was anything but polished. But when he finished, there was not a dry eye in the room.
When someone asked the actor what made the difference, he replied, "I know the Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd." Boom! There it is! We can know all about Jesus but not really know Him. Knowing Jesus requires a personal relationship with Jesus.
When we know Him, we have everything that we need. An amazing strength and unshakable contentment come from a source that is not our own. It rises out of an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.
Knowing God makes all of His resources available to us – resources like wisdom, guidance, power, peace, love, patience and self-control. In other words, knowing God provides strength for every area of life.
Strength is fertile soil for peace and will bring a harvest of contentment. God did not come to give us human strength. He came to give us His strength.
“The LORD gives His people strength. The LORD blesses His people with peace” (Psalm 29:11, NIV).
“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12: 2, NASB).
When we count on His resources instead of our own, we will experience true contentment. There is no limit to His power, and there is no end to His strength. In fact, our weakness is the perfect showcase for His strength.
According to the American Holistic Health Federation, people who are not satisfied with their lives and seem to have no contentment increase their risk of premature death by at least ten percent. Hudson Taylor once noted, "God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on Him."
Paul writes in another letter to the church at Corinth, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT).
Today, we can choose to exchange our weak resources for His sufficiency and power by giving up our rights, our plans and our solutions. Right now, let’s choose to lay them all at His feet and choose His plan over ours or any other plan. Then - and only then - will we find contentment.
Let’s Pray-
Father, it seems that a seed of discontent has taken root in my life. I have tried so many things, hoping they would fill that “hole” in my soul. I have looked to so many people to make me happy. I now realize the only source of contentment is You. Right now, I lay down every lifeless resource and submit to You, Your plan and Your perfect provision in my life. Thank You, Lord, for being everything I need.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen."
How to Find Contentment Mary Southerland @ 2021 by Mary Southerland. All rights reserved. Adapted and used by permission.
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496- Ps. 147:3 "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds."
Our Ambassador to Israel, Michael David Evens' comments:
"God will carry us and care for us and work on our behalf throughout our lives. There is never a time when He does not see our needs and respond." [Michael David Evens]
Isaiah 46:3-5 "Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been upheld by Me from birth, who have been carried from the womb: even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal and compare Me, that we should be alike?"
Words Change Lives
Sometimes we speak them hastily
And regret it.
Other times we remain silent
And wish we had spoken
Words come in all sizes…
Many are small, yet dynamic
Others are big
But of little importance.
We can change lives by what we say…
Either for good or for bad,
Our words can make people laugh
Or make them cry.
Words can build them up
Or bring them down…
Pull them closer or turn them away.
Whether written or spoken,
Rehearsed or spontaneous,
Words are powerful.
They are easy to come by,
But not easily forgotten.
A good reason to measure them out carefully.
©Frances Gregory Pasch
~ Can we comprehend that God’s timing is perfect? It would eliminate a lot of stress. We could see things coming together in His timing for the various things that seem slow moving. May we be willing to stay the course He’s set for us, knowing His timing for what concerns us really is perfect.
Upcoming posts
The North Country Christian Fellowship Center Churches,
located in the St. Lawrence county of NY,
broadcast their Sunday services at 10 or 10:15
You can view past services too.
Sermon listing: https://www.
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