Read Philippians 4:10-13
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.” —Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
During the school holidays I offered to take my two young grandchildren to the botanical gardens for an outing. We planned to purchase some ice cream to eat as we walked. My grandchildren were excited about this plan, but when we got to the shop, we discovered that they had no little tubs of ice cream and the ones on sticks were far too expensive. I explained to the children that we would have to wait and have ice cream another time. They both took the disappointment well and cheerfully continued with the day.
We had a fun time walking along the paths in the garden, getting a bit lost and laughing a lot. It made me think how often I have grumbled and become disappointed or angry when God didn’t give me what I wanted. I learned a lesson that day from my grandchildren that contentment with God’s will is the way to happiness. Even when things don’t turn out the way we expect them to, we can trust God — who is always with us — for a good outcome.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to be content with your plans. Help us to trust you even when we are disappointed or don’t understand your purposes. May we experience the blessing of contentment. Amen.
Thought for the Day: To be content with life is a great gift.
Valerie Clark (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
