Philippians 4:12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

This summer I have been praying for several young people (and adults) who are giving away their time to minister in places foreign to them.  One young man is a college student named Daniel, spending his summer in the jungles of Indonesia translating the Bible into the dialects of remote tribes, teaching and helping pastors, and sharing the love of Christ.  I had not heard from him for several weeks but knew he was in a region without any type of internet or cellular connection.  The email I received this week was mixed with exhaustion, homesickness, excitement, wonder, and increased depth of spiritual maturity —  much like the Daniel we know from the Bible might have felt after spending time in Babylon.

Daniel in Babylon was carried away to captivity in the king's courts to be trained and molded into a special servant to the king.  Everything changed - his name, his clothing, his living arrangements, his food.  Yet he remained secure in the identity he had as God's child and for 70 years he was content - even in captivity - and never stopped loving and worshiping God even when it meant spending the night in the lion's den.  Daniel in Indonesia has done the same.  He is spending his summer deep in the jungle, eating things that are very strange, seeing creatures he's never seen before, encountering fears he never knew existed, and for the past three weeks he didn't hear or speak English at all.  And I'm sure he felt as if he was entering the lion's den one night as he laid down to sleep knowing the pastor traveling with him had been bitten by a millipede and didn't know if he would wake the next morning or not since some millipedes in that jungle are harmless and others have venom that paralyzes.  Yet Daniel in Indonesia found this truth as he remained content and secure in Father's love:

"Spending time with Indonesian Christians has really compelled me to rethink how I view and trust in God. From my Western perspective, I have noticed that I have greater trust in the Lord for things that I have no control over. But what is control? Can I justify thinking that I have more control over my life in the States than in Indonesia? Not at all.  For example, the Lord blesses me with safety at night in my dorm room in Chicago in the same way that he blesses me with safety at night in the jungles of Borneo. God is the same in Indonesia as He is in the States. The Lord is powerful and watches over us regardless of the "severity" of the situation. For the Lord, no situation is severe or problematic. He knows our needs and He will provide for them in due time."

Another young man in a foreign place this summer is probably learning the same things as he trusts God in the inner city of Chicago, sharing the love of Christ and ministering to the homeless, the criminal, the captive, the addicts.  It is interesting that Daniel feels more in control in Chicago but Seth's heart is buried in Father's grace in one of the most dangerous places in our country - the backyard to Daniel's dorm in Chicago.  This lends even more profound truth to Daniel's statement, doesn't it?  The Lord blesses us and watches over us regardless of our situation.  "No situation is severe or problematic" to Him, is it?  Nothing surprises, nothing causes Him fear, nothing seems insurmountable and nothing is insignificant either.  I think this truth is the 'secret' Paul mentions in Philippians 4.  Being content is not being in control and it is not learning to accept and deal with our situations and circumstances but it is learning to be the branch - what Jesus taught in John 15 - remain in Him.  (http://blog.amyharvison.com/2007/06/30/remain.aspx)

Proverbs 19:23 says this:  The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.  Fear of the Lord is not being afraid but it is remaining - trusting in who He is as Sovereign God of all, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, loving, faithful, rewarder, redeemer, everlasting, merciful God.  Fear of the Lord is trusting that He will do what He says He will do - He will live in us and through us and give us life and breath and open His hand to provide for our needs. It doesn't mean we will never face trouble or difficulty or need.  It means that because we trust Him, our security in our identity and our eternity will not change - it will be untouched.  It means that as we trust Him and worship Him we need not lose the joy of our salvation or the peace that passes all understanding even if we are in a dangerous place, hungry, alone, or captive.  He has not changed or moved and we are still His.  Just like the branch may face wind and rain and hail and drought and scorching heat and hungry pests but it remains attached to the vine with the life of the vine flowing in it, we can remain and trust in all situations - content in all circumstances - because His life is flowing in us.  And it means that when life seems normal and easy that we will not stop trusting because we think we can handle things.  We will trust ALL things and ALL times and ALL situations to Him because, as a branch, we can do nothing apart from Him, the Vine.

Since spending time with Father discussing 'remaining' He has been teaching me a lot about it.  This week, as I prayed for Daniel and Seth, and pondered Daniel's words, Father reminded me of a Psalm I have always considered one to cling to and pray with desperation in times of need and fear and spiritual warfare - Psalm 91.  But He has me looking at it in a new way.  He has shown me that it is a Psalm about remaining.  It is a Psalm of contentment and peace.  The Psalmist says that if we dwell (remain) in the shelter of the Most High we will rest (remain) in the shadow of the Almighty.  And then the entire Psalm reinforces remaining with confirmation and affirmation of His being our all in all in any situation or circumstance.  So I am re-learning to trust and pray and ponder Psalm 91 and, like Daniel, I am finding contentment in the knowledge that as I remain in Him  I find shelter, shade, refuge, strength, rescue, protection, covering, shielding, strength, confidence, power, deliverance, life and salvation.  And I am praying and pondering in great peace and contentment as I acknowledge He controls and watches over my every moment. I don't have to try to control or think I can control any part of my life and therefore when I am not in control, I don't lose my contentment... no matter what my situation or circumstance.

Learning to remain and finding contentment -
Amy

 16 With long life will I satisfy him
       and show him my salvation."