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She Believes 3 Becoming More

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Oh, To Be Content

Have you ever gone through a season when life seemed absolutely unbearable?  Have you ever become impatient with God, because He was moving way too slow.  Could it be that you are just simply disenchanted with the way your life is going right now?  If your answer is yes to any of these questions, today I would like to visit with you briefly about what it means to be content.

 When you go to your dictionary and look up the word content, you may see the following as a definition;  in a state of peaceful happiness, satisfied with a certain level of achievement, and not wishing for more, a state of satisfaction.

In Philippians 4:11 Paul says I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances, a little bit later in 4:13 He says that; I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.  After thinking about this, I have personally come to the conclusion, that Paul’s contentment was based not only on his trust in God but in his trust in God’s character. He had experienced God’s faithfulness through numerous circumstances, and he had seen the heart of God throughout His journey.

Being content is not always easy.   But if we just think back, and reflect on all of the times that God has been faithful to us in the past through the hard times, it helps us to remain hopeful for our future.   Contentment, in my opinion, can be simple, trusting while you are waiting.  Trusting that when the time is right, God will change your set of circumstances, and if He chooses not to, you are still trusting that He will only do what is best for you. Either way, trusting God is the real source of contentment and inner peace.  As you spend more and more time with God, you will grow to trust Him more and more.

Today, I want to encourage you to seek His face daily.  Choose peace and contentment over stress and worry. Remember, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you, and that means even going through the hard stuff.

11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 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.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;  never will I forsake you.”[a]
1 Timothy 6:6-10
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Romans 15:13
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 62:5-8
Yes, my soul, find rest in God;  my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;  he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God[a];  he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

 

Wisdom – Something to Treasure – Part I

Over the last two days I have been digging through my treasure chest of memories of the wonderful things that God has done in my life.

First of all, I was so blessed to be raised by a mother and father who truly feared the Lord and served Him and honored Him in the way, they chose to live their lives and raise their children.

From birth I was taught about God. You see, as a child God was already preparing my heart to desire being in His presence more than anything in this world.

I remember around the age of nineteen while having my quiet time I came across a passage of scripture that had a profound effect on me. It was 2nd Chronicles 1:6-12.

Be a woman of courage

Deuteronomy 31:6 –
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

When was the last time you really did something courageous?

Whether it was taking a trip alone or speaking up when you knew that, someone was doing wrong, even if it meant you were risking a friendship.

Stuff

Ecclesiastes 5:9-20 (NIV)

9 The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

10 Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.

11 As goods increase,
so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
except to feast their eyes on them?

12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
permits them no sleep.

Women and Their Words-Part II

Proverbs 31: 26 –
She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness

Part II

Ladies we have the ability to use our words to create joy in our homes. Our words set the tone for our family’s day. I am sure you have heard the expression, “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy”. This quote usually gets a chuckle because we all can relate and we all know that it is so very true.

Forgiving God – Part III

Job 1:21-22(NIV)
21…..The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Have you ever found yourself angry with God? Maybe you have experienced losing a mate unexpectedly or the loss of a child. Maybe, you’ve lost your only means of income, or you have gone through the disappointment of a divorce. You may have been told, that you have cancer, or you received the news that someone that you love dearly has a severe illness. You may be frustrated over something as simple as not hearing from God after many years of praying over a situation and seeing no change.

Forgiving Yourself- Part II

Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1st John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

As we continue our series on forgiveness, today’s lesson will be on forgiving ourselves. I feel sure that we all at one time or another have struggled with this. Our tendency is to think we have messed up so badly that God could never forgive us. We beat ourselves up over something that we have done that we knew was wrong to do, or maybe it was something we simply failed to do, only later to feel disappointed in ourselves, and possibly even experience embarrassment before others and certainly shame before God.

Forgiveness – Part I

Matthew 6:14-15ML
“For if you forgive others their offences, your Heavenly Father will forgive you also; but if you do not forgive others their offences, neither will your Father forgive yours.

Many years ago, I received what I consider the ultimate in betrayal from someone I truly trusted. The painful blow left me reeling. I was hurt beyond anything I had ever experienced. I remember feeling every emotion that was possible, from sadness to anger, back to sadness and on to disappointment and even grief.

It was so unsettling I began to doubt and question myself. It really threw me off course. I knew only God could give me the strength to keep my thoughts and my emotions in the right place, so that I could continue to treat this person as I should.