Discontent?

The definition of "discontent" is...a restless desire or craving for something one does not have.  Do you ever have those feelings?  Well, I do and I am not at all proud of it.  I desire to be content with what God has given me and where He has placed me.  The quote below makes a lot of sense to me. 

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”  ~Greek philosopher, BC 341-270

Yes, what I now have is something I prayed and hoped for.  Actually, what I now have is different than how I pictured it, but in reality it is better than what I hoped for.  The Lord has a way of making our dreams come true in a way that we never imagined possible.

The future looms ahead and other dreams beckon to me.  I get excited, but I need to wait.  As I wait I need to enjoy where I am.  The Lord does not move us on so quickly that we do not get to stop to smell the flowers.  As you continue to dream and hope for the future remember these words...


"The vision is yet for the appointed time...Though it tarries, wait for it, for it will certainly come, it will not delay.  ~Habakkuk 2:3


Even if we are in a place that is hard.  A place we never imagined we would be, fear not for the Lord is there.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.  He is right by your side and even in the midst of the trial you will find blessing because He is absolutely amazing.  And this too will pass and as always the future lies ahead with hopes and dreams.  Here is a verse to comfort your soul:


"Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage.  Yes, wait for the Lord.  ~Psalm 27:14

"Hope is a thing with feathers.
That perches in the soul.
And sings the tunes without the words.

And never stops at all."

(Verse from Emily Dickinson poem)

Psalm 119:105

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

"There will be times when God only gives us enough light to take a few steps a few steps in front of us."  ~Charles Stanley

Psalm 34:19

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

I happened received this verse in my Bible promises box the other day.  I have read this verse before, but the Lord brought a few things to my attention this time.  First it says "many are the afflictions of the righteous".  Okay, so if I am righteous, I can expect to have trials and tribulations.  Second, thing that stood out to me was "but the Lord delivers him out of them all."  The ALL never stood out to me before.  It doesn't say "some" nor "a few"...it say ALL.  So there is therefore no tribulation or trial that the Lord will not help me to overcome.  Isn't that such a relief?

Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is with you,
       He is mighty to save.
       He will take great delight in you,
       He will quiet you with His love,
       He will rejoice over you with singing.

Isn't this precious to your heart?  That our Lord takes great delight in us?  I especially like the part that says He will quiet me with His love.

To be known is to be loved...

I am sure that all of us have felt the painful sting of rejection.  We all deeply long for someone to accept us despite all our unsightly behaviors or ways of thinking.  Thankfully, God has provided a way for us to be accepted in the midst of our mess.  He sent His son, Jesus, to wash away all the yuck.  God provided this way of escape not because of anything to do with us, but based on Himself (being love).  Jesus truly knows us and despite all that He loves us and laid down His life to prove that love. 

This past weekend I went to my first ladies retreat.  It was awesome!  It was a chance to experience the Lord in a deeper way.  A chance to see and experience love in action.  To be blessed beyond imagination.  When we put the Lord first and love Him we then become filled, and His love overflows out of us and abundantly to others.  

Hardships

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia.  We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.  In deed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.  But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead.  (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)

This little bird is hanging on to a reed as the soft wind blows against him.  The reed bends and moves to and fro as he continues to hang on.  He seems unmoved as he sits in place and moves with the wind.  He is not afraid.

The above scripture verse really spoke to me the other night especially since I feel that I am enduring a trial that is far beyond my ability.  As Paul says in this verse, it happens so that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who is all powerful.  So therefore my trial is set in place that I may continue to seek Him.  It is His way of loving me, keeping me close.  Looking with spiritual eyes I can see the real reason behind it all, and I can rejoice in His LOVE.  Beloved, He loves us in ways that are high and lifted up, He never leaves us and does not want us to leave Him.  He loves us beyond what we can understand.  As the little bird that clings to the reed in the blowing wind, I can endure the wind as long as I hang on to Him.  I can rest and let the billows flow over me, confident that He love me.