Well, we have certainly been both encouraged and challenged as we have studied the topic of contentment in these past several blogs. The scriptures hold so many rich truths that remind us of the wonderful God we serve – what could be better?
We will wrap up today by finishing our study in Psalm 84. Let’s review the passage we have been digging into:
How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You! – Psalm 84:1-2, 10-12
The next truths we will note from this passage are some of my favorites. They are near and dear to my heart and have helped me in many situations when I have struggled with discontentment.
The Word of God holds a promise here: He does not withhold what is good from those who truly seek to follow Him. What this means is that God, who always and in every situation has the perfect understanding of what is good for us (to bring Him glory and make us like Him [Rom. 8:28-29]), will not give us anything other than what meets that definition of good as long as we are faithfully seeking to follow Him. That means that what we need to concern ourselves with as believers is not that we make sure we receive everything we want in this life, but that we are seeking to “walk uprightly” and build the Lord’s kingdom, not ours. Then, we can trust that this promise is true for us: He will take care of our needs and always provide what is best. When things don’t go as I would prefer or I want something that I do not have, I can trust that the thing I want must not be good for me at this time, and if in the future it becomes what is good for me, God will not withhold it. Wow – what a load off! How merciful is our God to provide for us such a powerful promise.
This passage ends with a beautiful and simple truth: those who trust in God and His timing and what He says is good to provide for His children is surely blessed. And we, blessed beyond measure, can be totally content in Him.
