Patricia Ann, Originally posted Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has
said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU." Hebrews 13:5
I read a Facebook post a couple of days ago that touched me deeply. It was simply about being discontent and about how discontentment grows into strife. I was convicted. I thought of my own groaning and how many times over the past few years, I have felt extremely discontent over circumstances that I saw as beyond my control and I was terribly stressed about it. I often heard God say, "Just let it go." After all, giving things to God surely does lighten our load.
Matthew 11:29-30 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Sometimes, after what seems like an onslaught of stressful events, we still try to carry burdens that we should give to Jesus. We don't mean to harbor them unto ourselves. It just kind of happens over time and then one day we realize that we are a miserable mess. Our neck and shoulders physically hurt and our bodies just feel weak and out of sorts. We feel sick and tired, and tired of feeling sick.
We live in a self-induced season of discontent and the resulting strife is killing to us. We may sometimes cry enough tears to keep a river flowing. In our effort to find answers to our groaning, we find we have selfishly become an information guru. Sure, we go to God and pray every day, but we remain very guilty of also seeking the world for answers that truly only God can and will provide.
We can declare that He indeed never leaves and does not forsake us, as even through our groaning and discontent, we are often given very insightful and useful tools to get out of our season of discontent and back on track with Him.
But, sometimes our season seems to linger. We find ourselves increasingly frustrated with a feeling of being lost and hopeless. Sometimes, we are still able to help other people with any kind of problem, leading them to answers through Jesus as our Savior, but we feel stuck and unable to get free ourselves.
Circumstances beyond our control.
Today, let us look and see that we have been discontented simply by the fact that we could not control what was happening in our life.
Jesus tells us that we don't have to worry about such things. When we give our burdens and misunderstandings and sorrows to Jesus, He takes them. He takes our every pain. He takes our worries, our grief, our sorrow, our sickness and He takes away our sin and makes us fresh and new. He makes us spotless and restored.
Jesus was born, lived and died. And rose again to live so that we may also live.
The words of our Lord are forever unchanged. His love is forever unchanged.
His desire to lift our burdens and take them unto Himself has already been done.
At the cross at Calvary, Jesus was crucified and subjected to a cruel and painful death at the hands of those who hated Him. They did not understand Who He was or the complexity and gravity of their hatred and murder. Not until it was finished, and Jesus had risen from the grave, did His death and life take on a new meaning.
Who was this man who would die for all sin, sickness and disease for every man, woman and child for eternity?
That man, our Jesus Christ, never walked in discontent.
He knew that one day He would die. Jesus said, "The reason I came to earth is so I could give my life as a ransom for many people." (Matthew 20:28) Jesus' death was not a random event caused by misfortune; it was something He specifically came to do. And knowing that, He confidently walked and preached and performed miracles.
Jesus was born to be selfless and He selflessly bore the sinfulness of mankind without discontentment.
In that, I find my own heart convicted. How could I so selfishly think that I can walk in discontentment over the things that have happened in my life, when Jesus gave His life, so that I don't have to carry any of it on my own shoulders, in my own thoughts, or in my heart?
Matthew 11:29-30 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," Hebrews 13:5
Thank you Jesus, that you have loved the world and me so much that you willingly wait for us to come to you. No matter how big or small.
Jesus, your death at the cross has taken every circumstance and burden already.
Forgive us, Father, for seeking to carry our own burdens. Thank you so much that you have removed all the stains and blemishes from our past and that it is You who gives us new tomorrows and those tomorrows start today.
Thank you for seeing us through our seasons of discontent. I pray that today we have become better equipped to help someone else who may have fallen into their own season of discontentment and strife.
There is always hope for a better tomorrow.
Let us praise our Lord, Jesus, in song and declare His goodness and love. May His light shine through us as a beacon
for His glory!
Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself
has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU." Hebrews 13:5
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