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Being Satisfied is Peaceful
Andrea Lende • May 11, 2021
Hebrews 13:5
Being Satisfied is Peaceful
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Being-Satisfied-is-Peaceful-e10mlln
Hebrews 13:5
“Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [ you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]”
This passage is full of wisdom!
It’s so easy to get caught up in worldly things.
Most of us want more.
There’s always something better, more stylish, or new we seem to have our eyes on.
But the writer says to be free from the craving of earthly possessions.
The constant desire of wanting more and wanting better causes worry and stress.
And we have plenty of things to take that space in our minds already.
He tells us to be satisfied with what we have.
There is peace in being grateful.
When our children continually want for more, their disposition is almost always unhappy.
They become consumed with the thing they want, so are unable to enjoy what they already have.
We break down and finally give them what they want, and then the new thing quickly becomes the old thing.
And it’s onto another new thing.
Their minds are constantly consumed with the next best and greatest toy or game when they have plenty already.
They learn to be consumed with materialism instead of enjoying things that will last.
We can see this clearly in our children, but can we see it in ourselves?
The Lord’s promise is that He will not fail us, give up on us, or leave us without support.
That is reassuring.
It overrides our need to be consumed with material things because God is providing.
And He owns everything.
He will provide out of His best not out of our desperation.
There is plenty in His storehouses.
He also promises He will not leave us destitute or helpless.
He will not let us down or relax His hold on us.
So, it is my responsibility to hold fast to His promises and seek Him first.
When I do that, I am able to rest in confidence.
Today I choose to seek the Lord and learn of Him as He works out His best for me.
May you find your needs are well cared for and you are able to seek the Lord and find His best for you.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me You are taking care of me in every way. Thank You for reminding me You continually watch over me and provide for me. Thank You for Your promise to never relax Your hold on me. Help me remain at peace knowing You are working in every circumstance of my life. Help me rely on You for all I need and help me rest my mind from the worries and stress this world brings. May I sit in Your presence for a few precious moments while You pour Your Spirit into mine. Thank You for showing me more of You as I walk this earth. I long for the day I will worship at Your feet. Until then, help me follow You and be obedient to You, Lord. Help me do all the things You have planned for me to do. Don’t let me shrink away from Your perfect plan. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM constantly watching over you My child, and will keep you close to Me.
Response: Thank You, Almighty and merciful God.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.