How to Be Contented
Today’s Verse:
My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. ~Psalm 73:26
Do you ever find yourself at a place in life where you feel like bad triumphs more over good? Do you ever get frustrated with things going on in the world? Do you feel like the wicked prosper and God allows them to get away with their evil deeds? When the answer is yes to these questions, do you find yourself complaining a lot more and being discontented with life? If so, that is where David was in life. As we read Psalm 73:3-16, David is complaining about the increase of the wicked. Let us see the problem of complaining and how we must go from complaining to contentment.
We see David in his anguish.
David was perplexed, troubled, and bothered by the prosperity of the wicked. “For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” David felt like the wicked were prospering at the expense of the righteous. He was making shallow comparisons between himself and them. He assumed that the wicked were not having problems. He assumed that the wicked were succeeding more in life than the righteous. He heard their cursing, swearing, and prideful statements. He was aghast that they would blaspheme the Lord’s name and people and get away with it. In essence, David felt like things were unfair. David was complaining. When our complaining is continuous, it only becomes more constant. Complaining robs us of our joy, and we lose sight of the bigger things in life.
We see David in his awakening.
“Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.” The day came when David went into the house of God, and he had a major awakening! He realized that he had taken counsel in himself and not in the Lord. “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” He was awakened that God knows what is happening and God is always in control. He was reminded of the sacrificial death of an innocent lamb for their sins. He was reminded that God, in His mercy, extends His saving grace to every sinful man. God will deal with the wicked in His time. God will vindicate His people in His time. Complaining about our circumstances does not work the righteousness of God. He was learning that he needed to be patient and wait on the Lord.
We see David and his acceptance.
“Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” David knew that he could trust God for his future. He knew that he could trust God in his fears. He was reminded that he could trust God for his foes as well. God can be trusted for everything in our life. David was learning a whole new level of trust in the Lord. “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.” His circumstances drew him nearer to God and caused him to commit his concerns to Him. David is now in the right direction. David goes from complaining to contentment.
All of us can slip into a complaining mode when things don’t go the way we would like. When this happens, we must get back to the sanctuary and remember why God put us here. We must draw near to the Lord for our strength and let Him do what glorifies Himself. Learn to be contented in the Lord, and trust in Him at all times.
Have a contented God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 2 Chronicles 35-36