will not fear – Praying Pint

28.u. “For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content”

Philippians 4:11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Genesis 28:20   Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear,

Matthew 6:31-34    Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Hebrews 13:5-6   Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

1 Timothy 6:6-9   But godliness with contentment is great gain,  for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

How do we know contentment, happiness, satisfaction, fulfillment, peace in all circumstances? Where is it to be found? How is it demonstrated? When our circumstances place us in a time of prosperity and plenty we think this is how and where we find contentment. Not true at all. Ease of life, prosperity, abundance, peace, and comfort is no guarantee of contentment. In fact, it is where neglect and complacency of God’s Word, more times than not, takes place in our lives. Think about a trial or troubled time in your life. Did you grow closer to God and seek Him more fervently? Was your trust and belief in Him alone firm and trusting? Did you come to a place where you were beyond self-reliance or reliance on others and placed your heavy burden into His hands, relying on Him alone? Did you experience contentment and peace placing it in His hands? Godly contentment, happiness, satisfaction, fulfillment, and peace are not based on the circumstances of life. They reside in our hearts and minds. It is when we surrender and yield our lives, days, minutes, and seconds of every day to the will and purpose of God, knowing and trusting in Him alone, and where we live seeking and desiring all we think, say, and do for the single purpose of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ, is where we find contentment. Paul learned it. He lived trusting God was in total control of everything. Whatever situation, in plenty and in want, Jesus strengthened Him. If our commitment is shallow and surrender of self to the purpose and will of God each day is non-existent, we will find ourselves missing out on contentment, happiness, fulfillment, satisfaction, and peace.

5.i. You will look around and take your rest in security.

Job 11:13 “If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward him. If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents. Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear. You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away. And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning. And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security. You will lie down, and none will make you afraid; many will court your favor. But the eyes of the wicked will fail; all way of escape will be lost to them, and their hope is to breathe their last.”

Isaiah 12:1-2 You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

Hosea 6:3 Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”

There is nothing like feeling secure. We find a peace that passes all understanding when we humbly come to Jesus Christ with a contrite heart, repentant heart, and a seeking and desiring heart. We enter into a restful peace because we have yielded all claim to self and self-reliance into the hands of Jesus Christ. We know this to be true and yet too often we wait until there are trials and troubles before we do the yielding. The fact is we could have more satisfying and fulfilling lives if we would just learn to live with a daily committed yielding of any claim to our life and yield it all to the honor and glory and obedience of Jesus Christ.

Your Dwelling Place

Psalms 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most Highwill abide in the shadow of the Almighty.I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,my God, in whom I trust.”For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowlerand from the deadly pestilence.He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

It is always good to be reminded of peace and rest found in God. This Psalm encourages me to stay on course and cling to, rely on and trust in God. Spurgeon has great thoughts on this Psalm.

“Every child of God looks towards the inner sanctuary and the mercy-seat, yet all do not dwell in the most holy place; they run to it at times, and enjoy occasional approaches, but they do not habitually reside in the mysterious presence.”

We must walk very close to a companion, if we would have his shadow fall on us.

Men proclaim their doubts, and even to boast of them, who glory in casting suspicion upon everything; it becomes the duty of all true believers to speak out and testify with calm courage to their own well-grounded reliance upon their God.”

“We are foolish and weak as poor little birds, and are very apt to be lured to our destruction by cunning foes, but if we dwell near to God, he will see to it that the most skilfull deceiver shall not entrap us.”

“It is impossible that any ill should happen to the man who is beloved of the Lord; the most crushing calamities can only shorten his journey and hasten him to his reward. Ill to him is no ill, but only good in a mysterious form. Losses enrich him, sickness is his medicine, reproach is his honour, death is his gain. No evil in the strict sense of the word can happen to him, for everything is overruled for good.”

“How angels thus keep us we cannot tell. Whether they repel demons, counteract spiritual plots, or even ward off the subtler physical forces of disease, we do not know. Perhaps we shall one day stand amazed at the multiplied services which the unseen bands have rendered to us.”

“They are blessings that some believers miss out on, simply because they are always fretting and do not trust God as they should. Here the psalmist quotes God as saying that the blessings are for those who love God and acknowledge his name (v. 14), call upon him (v. 15), and seek satisfaction in what he alone can provide.” (Boice)