This is something astounding. You have heard the encouragement from the powerful verse "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", but the foundational reason for that gets overlooked in the verse before that one and I am finding it is the remedy for anything we face in this life: "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." -Philippians 4:12
I recently lost my job. But God has provided such contentment I am amazed. I wake up every day with seemingly no evidence of direction on where I will be employed next. YET I've never experienced such an absence of fear in my life! I keep thinking to myself, "shouldn't I be worried? shouldn't I have a plan of action?". But the devil can't even penetrate my mind to follow through on those questions because the Lord is at hand. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter. He wants His children to be comforted always. This should not to be confused with complacency(it is a different matter when we are being challenged to "get out of our comfort zones"). And this is what I've discovered- Comfort does not come from getting your needs met! It comes from fellowship with the Spirit. Because it's possible to have all your "needs" met that you perceive need to be met, and still feel restless. That's what happens when you are "successful" but are not in daily fellowship with the Spirit of Comfort. It is also possible to have nothing and still feel content! That happens when you constantly abide in Christ through the Spirit. You may ask, "why did this or that situation happen?" But comfort does not come from knowledge. Even if you got an explanation for the questions bothering you, it would not bring contentment; because the mind of the flesh would still try to manage it!
Comfort comes from the Comforter and nothing else!
You just think about Noah for a minute. One day God told him he was going to destroy the earth's inhabitants. Now that is a bad day. Destroy the earth's inhabitants? Well, I live on earth. I can't have it being destroyed. What will I do? Where will I go? But God knew how to instruct Noah to preserve him. Same way with Lot. If your city is going to be completely destroyed wouldn't you say that's cause for alarm? But as fire rained down Lot was rescued. These are examples in 2Peter 2:5-9. The Lord knows how to rescue the godly....
Do you realize that Shadrach, Meshack, & Abednego were more secure in the fire (with the Lord) than the others outside of the furnace who did not have the Lord? Do you know that Daniel was better off & had more peace in the Lion's den than the restless King who had everthing at his command? Begin to recount examples from the scriptures and you will see the God who delivered Moses, David, Elijah, and others IS YOUR GOD, too! Then begin to reflect on the times God has helped you through difficult times in your past. HE'S THE SAME yesterday, today, & forever. He's done it all through history and will continue to do it. With that, you & I can learn whatever state we are in to be content (Philippians 4:11). Does God want you to prosper? Yes, but obviously everyone is not always in that state. But I have learned how to be abased, and how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned the secret of being content. And I'm not going to let it be a secret now that I know!
