Josh 7:7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!

Luke 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

Phil 4:11-13 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

1 Tim 6:6-8 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

The above verses speak to us of a subject that we little preach about and even less practice and that is contentment. Do you believe in the absolutely decreed certainty of everything in your life? Or are you like the fatalist that believes in an absolute certainty which just happens because of fate? Or are you like the free-willer who believes that you are in control of your own destiny and lives every day in frustration that you are not controlling to well? There is a difference and the difference causes contentment or causes a disgruntled and unthankful acceptance of things because they just happen. As we can see from the verses above even the child of God must be reminded to be content with what the Lord has decreed for his life. From Joshua voicing his despair before the Lord about not being content on the other side of Jordan to the soldier being instructed to be content with his wages to the saints of God being told to be content with whatever was the lot for their lives, contentment is that which brings the greatest glory to God. To be content means that we accept whatever comes in our lives as being from the hands of a loving heavenly Father who knows what is best for the spiritual well-being of our lives. Paul talked of different states that he had been in, the state of wealth and the state of poverty and he said whatever state it was, he had learned to be content in that state. How different that is from the rich man who lusts for more and more riches and hoards every penny and plots day and night how he can gain more riches. How different that it is from the poor man who lives each moment of his life in bitter hatred for the rich man and lusts day and night for what he doesn’t have and probably never will have. How different the children of God are to be. Are we sufficient for such things in and of ourselves? No, and we never will be. We will going on lusting for more and more and being bitter about the things the we don’t have until we are delivered from this sin and made by the Spirit of God to be content with what the Lord has decreed for us in this life and in the life to come. Remember, dear ones that whatever the Lord has decreed is that which shall be done. In that, let us live in contentment, as sheep who know that they are in safe pasture.