Are we contented enough?

Cows can be very dumb?

If a cow had a whole field of green grass tofeed on, yet no grass seems quite as tasty as those patches outside her own pasture.
I have oftenseen cows stretching their heads through the fence, while right behind them is everything thatthey need, excellent grazing land, beautiful shade trees, a cool, refreshing stream of water, andeven a big chunk of salt.

What more could she want?

As the old saying goes, “The grass alwayslooks greener on the other side of the fence.”

I have also made an observation of people. They are like that old cow.They think that the “grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”

No matter how much they accumulate, it seems they never have enough and are never contented.

Webster definescontented as feeling or manifesting satisfaction with one’s possessions, status, or situation. The more they have, the more they want. They are constantly grasping, coveting, and seeking to obtain what doesn’t belong to them. How absolutely miserable they must be!

What folly there is indiscontentment!  Is this a picture of you?

We too often display that same tendency. Something that belongs to someone else, or some talent or ability that is beyond our reach, can seem so much more appealing than what we already possess.
Yet, the Lord wants us to be satisfied with what He has given to us.

Henry Kissinger, former U. S. Secretary of State, writes,
“To Americans, tragedy is wanting something very badly and not getting it. But many people have had to learn … that perhaps the worst form of tragedy is wanting something badly, getting it, and finding it empty.”

Psalm 106 gives an honest confession of Israel’s unfaithfulness.

How quickly the people forgot God’s great works and grumbled like spoiled children when they didn’t get theirway!

Finally, when they tired of manna, God gave them the meat they demanded, but they soon regretted having asked for it. If you are a believer in Christ, the greatest blessings in life are already yours.

Heaven is your home, and God is your Father. He has promised never to leave you, and He will supply your every need. Thus, true contentment comes from our Lord alone.

We must ask Him to flood us with His presence and strengthen us with His love, so that we will be satisfied with Him and what He has given. Only then can we rest in contentment.  

I will conclude this devotional with an illustration which speaks aboutbeing content, and is entitled:    

- Little or Much –    

Each generation raises the contentment bar, it seems. With every new technological advance, we seem to need more and more things to be satisfied. My parents’generation knew nothing of a family having more than one car, but my generation grew up expecting to have one at their disposal. When I was growing up, we didn’t even have computers, but I hear young people today complaining because the one they have isn’t the latest model and isn’t fast enough.

The standards for true contentment, though, know no calendar: The 21stcentury will bring all kinds of marvels to our world, but it won’t bring a better definitionfor contentment than the 2,000-year-old words of the apostle Paul.

He said, “Not that I speak inrespect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructedboth to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things throughChrist which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:11-13).

The secret of contentment is found in Christ, not in man’s ntions,creature comforts, techno-toys, wealth, or amusement. It is accepting what God has givenus, and by His strength making the most of it. As 19th-century author Maltbie Babcock said,“Contentment … is the grateful, faithful, fruitful use of what we have, little or much.”  

Lord God of our abundance, we thank You today for giving us Your Son.

Thank You for the gift of contentment.

We are grateful to You for giving us enough.    

(1) So, on a scale of 1-10, how contented are you?

And …  (2) What can you do to become content?    

First and foremost, recognize that you are a sinner bound to hell because of your sins and accept Jesus Christ and Lord and personal Saviour, believe that He isthe Son of God, your redeemer from the wages of eternal death in hell.  

Then and only then,you will have eternal life...    True contentment is in knowing that when all of these chasing afterposition, promotion, wealth, fame, recognition, applause, you will have eternal life inheaven...because in the overall scheme of things, what matters is where we will spend eternity...