As I have said, life is meant to be lived by Faith. Trusting God is in control when things seem so very chaotic is where Faith finds its purpose, and shows up strong in our lives. The Truth is, when things are going well in our lives, we almost do not need Faith. But when you watch your child slowly fade away from you after years of fighting and then she dies? This is when Faith shows up. And none of this is from us, do we understand that? It is all the work God does within the heart of a willing sheep. It is as we surrender to God’s Will that contentment flows from within us. Listen to the wise and beautiful words of Mr Keller: “My serenity has as its basis an implicit, unshakable reliance on His ability to do the right thing, the best thing in any given situation.” (p156) When we learn to trust God this deeply, the way David did, the way I am still learning to, then it almost doesn’t matter what happens around us, because our peace and joy is based on God and His Goodness and Mercy; not on anything outside of us, but on the One who lives inside of us. God helps us control our level of peace and joy because we choose to trust Him no matter what is happening. To be stable. To be steady. To be content in the face of chaos is the best way to live, can we agree with this truth?
And all this is true exactly because God is Love and cannot do, or allow, anything apart from His Love. The author says, “All the care, all the work, all the alert watchfulness, all the skill, all the concern, all the self-sacrifice are born of His love – the love of One who loves His sheep, loves His work, loves His role as a Shepherd.” (p157) We need to let go of the lie that God merely tolerates us. He loves us! Deeply loves us! It is God’s great pleasure to care for us wayward sheep. It makes His heart smile when He faithfully watches over us and we rest in His embrace. It brings Him satisfaction to see His children grow and become more and more like Him. God is not putting up with us, He is actively loving us and enjoying the ride. Question is: do we enjoy the ride? This is what contentment is supposed to bring into the life of a Christian, an unshakable joy that helps us live love, just like Jesus did, and still does. This is another powerful chapter that I hope you will dig into. The more we understand the heart of God, the more we can reflect it, and the more content our lives become.
2023’s Got A Minute? Book Club
January: The First & Best Book Ever: The Bible
February: Love Is In the Air: “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts” by Gary Chapman
March: Spring Growth: “Secrets of the Vine” by Bruce Wilkinson
April: Living the Resurrected Life: “The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life” by Dr Charles Stanley
May: My Spiritual Mom: “Making Good Habits Breaking Bad Habits” by Joyce Meyer
June: Spiritual Dad: “It’s Not About Me- Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy” by Max Lucado
July: Financial Freedom “Complete Guide to Money” by Dave Ramsey
August: Summer’s Soul Restorer “A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23” by W Phillip Keller
<>< Peace, Diane
