Your Manna is Served
When I find myself in a place of discontent, I can do several different things. I can whine and moan and complain to whoever will listen, including Father, and usually, mostly Him. Or I can explore options to get myself out of whatever state I'm in, hoping to solve the problem of discontent through transfer, replacement or displacement of myself. Or I can blame someone else for my problems and express to them their need to transfer, replace or displace themselves. Or I can surrender to Spirit, watch Jesus to see what He is doing and wanting to do, and I can learn, like Paul, to be content whatever my situation or circumstance. Learning to be content through the Life that lives in me is all a matter of trust and obedience.
Trust and obedience have always been a recurring theme in my life as new places in life bring new levels of trust and obedience. I've learned that every step taken in this life in Christ is either one of trust in Him which leads to obedience or lack of trust in Him which leads to disobedience. So how does my trust and obedience lead me to contentment? Paul said it was a secret. 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. I've been in need and I've had plenty. I've been fed and I've been hungry. But I haven't always been content.
What's the secret? Job 36:11 says: If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. Proverbs 19:23 says: The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble. I Timothy 6:6 says: But godliness with contentment is great gain. Where is the secret revealed? It is in the trust and obedience of Job who never turned away from his God even though he had been struck in the worst ways known to man. He didn't appear to be prosperous or content while he sat around scraping away at his boils but his secret content was that his soul was secure in the hands of a faithful and loving God. And contentment is not found in a life of no trouble that comes because we fear God, but instead it is found in that fear - which translates to trust and obedience in reverent submission to Him even in the midst of trouble. And it is truly great gain to seek Him and His ways, which leads us to godliness, as we trust in One whose life in us is the true resting place of Hebrews 3 - the place of true contentment.
I think His 'rest' as discussed in Hebrews 3 might be the secret Paul had learned. It is the secret of contentment that I am learning. The Israelites had been abused slaves in Egypt for 400 years. They had cried out to God for all those years for deliverance. He delivered them from Egypt and promised them a place of rest - no more slavery - no more trouble - no more discontent, right? But the ones who left Egypt as adults never made it to the Promised Land because they failed to trust and obey. Hebrews 3:16-19 says: Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
These delivered Israelites were disobedient because they did not trust. They 'heard' and saw the majesty and power and provision and presence of God in the ten plagues, in the parting of the Red Sea, in daily manna dropped from heaven, in water gushing from a rock, in the fire and cloud that accompanied them on their journey, and more. But they whined and moaned and complained in their discontent. They explored their options, considering returning to Egypt where at least they had regular meals with some variety instead of faithfully forging ahead in their journey with their God. And they even tried to transfer, replace and displace Moses and God with their own golden calf in an effort to satisfy their discontent. All along their journey in the wilderness they were shown how much God cared for them and were given opportunity after opportunity to simply surrender to Him and His plans, trusting and obeying. If they had done so, they would have rested - even in the desert - even before they ever got to the Jordan and walked across into the land flowing with milk and honey. All God wanted was for them to trust Him. He had them safe and secure and blessed by His provision and presence with plans that far exceeded anything they'd ever experienced or imagined.
All God wants from me is trust. He wants me to believe He is who He says He is. And He wants me to believe that He will do what He has said He will do. If I believe those things, then I will walk in obedience to Spirit within me and Christ living through me and I will rest in perfect contentment no matter the circumstance or condition of my life. I will pick up my manna each morning as He serves it to me and it will be sweet to my mouth and nourishing to my soul as I taste of His blessed provision for my eternity, His presence in my every moment, and His plans that are bigger and more wonderful than anything I can ever dream.
Your manna is served, too. Have you tasted it's sweetness today?
amy
Psalm 25:14 (Amplified) The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning.
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