Restful Contentment.
"Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you." (Psalm 116:7)
Our Creator has established and sustains our world and our universe so perfectly as to make life possible for us. Think of the sunshine and the rain and the provision of food dependent upon them. Think of day and night, one for us to work and one for us to rest. Think of shade trees on a hot afternoon. God has been good to us.
We could also think of other good things from God, such as marriage and the children this often produces. Work and the satisfaction a days work brings. Food and drink. Family and friends to share them with. Peaceful sleep at the end of a days work. God has been good to us.
When I was a boy I remember seeing a chicken having it's head chopped off. No doubt you know what happened. That's right, its body ran around the yard without its head for a while! A lasting impression was made on my young mind.
Everything we need, all these good things, are found in living a simple life following the design for our life set down by the grand designer, God.
Yet, like an ungrateful child, we are so often dissatisfied, discontent, rebellious and restless. We think there is something else and so we start to run around like that headless chicken, almost mindlessly trying to re-engineer society, introducing laws to pretend wrong is now right, good is now bad, filling our lives with endless activity, noise, distractions, busyness, thinking more of that will provide the answers. But do they?
We need to take a deep breath and calm down. Refocus on the good things already in your life. Stop running around so much and rest under that shade tree.
Stop listening to the panic spread by the media, and the FOMO being induced by social media. You are not missing out on anything. The lives you read so much about on social media are not as perfect as portrayed.
This is a fallen world. Everyone's lives have their share of problems. Everyone has something missing in their lives which can only be filled by God. That is how He has designed us, to worship Him. If we do not worship God we end up trying to fill that space by worshipping endless other things which can never do it. Money, assets, reputation, career, accolades, praise, friends. They can't fill that hole in life, and they all disappear on that last day.
There is only one thing which can fill that emptiness in this life and which still remains for eternity. In fact it is the only thing which can get you into heaven for eternity. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Contentment or discontentment? Rest or headless panic? Trust or distrust? Fullness or emptiness? Eternal death or eternal Life?
The answer to our problems is Jesus.
God has been good to you. He has everything under control. Trust Him, thank Him and rest contentedly in Him.
Reflection and photo by Craig Manners.
"Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you." (Psalm 116:7)
Our Creator has established and sustains our world and our universe so perfectly as to make life possible for us. Think of the sunshine and the rain and the provision of food dependent upon them. Think of day and night, one for us to work and one for us to rest. Think of shade trees on a hot afternoon. God has been good to us.
We could also think of other good things from God, such as marriage and the children this often produces. Work and the satisfaction a days work brings. Food and drink. Family and friends to share them with. Peaceful sleep at the end of a days work. God has been good to us.
When I was a boy I remember seeing a chicken having it's head chopped off. No doubt you know what happened. That's right, its body ran around the yard without its head for a while! A lasting impression was made on my young mind.
Everything we need, all these good things, are found in living a simple life following the design for our life set down by the grand designer, God.
Yet, like an ungrateful child, we are so often dissatisfied, discontent, rebellious and restless. We think there is something else and so we start to run around like that headless chicken, almost mindlessly trying to re-engineer society, introducing laws to pretend wrong is now right, good is now bad, filling our lives with endless activity, noise, distractions, busyness, thinking more of that will provide the answers. But do they?
We need to take a deep breath and calm down. Refocus on the good things already in your life. Stop running around so much and rest under that shade tree.
Stop listening to the panic spread by the media, and the FOMO being induced by social media. You are not missing out on anything. The lives you read so much about on social media are not as perfect as portrayed.
This is a fallen world. Everyone's lives have their share of problems. Everyone has something missing in their lives which can only be filled by God. That is how He has designed us, to worship Him. If we do not worship God we end up trying to fill that space by worshipping endless other things which can never do it. Money, assets, reputation, career, accolades, praise, friends. They can't fill that hole in life, and they all disappear on that last day.
There is only one thing which can fill that emptiness in this life and which still remains for eternity. In fact it is the only thing which can get you into heaven for eternity. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Contentment or discontentment? Rest or headless panic? Trust or distrust? Fullness or emptiness? Eternal death or eternal Life?
The answer to our problems is Jesus.
God has been good to you. He has everything under control. Trust Him, thank Him and rest contentedly in Him.
Reflection and photo by Craig Manners.
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