Calvary Baptist Church

Calvary Baptist Church, Grenada, MS, USA

Holding to the truths embraced by Baptist for centuries.

One of the most difficult things in life is learning to be content in our circumstances, to trust God’s will as opposed to our own. Too many of us fight against and complain about our circumstances throughout life not realizing that it is God who has ordained and permitted our circumstances. He wants us to learn to lean on Him in relation to our possessions, our problems, and our plans. Our possessions are only loaned to us for a season. When we die they will belong to someone else. The important thing is not how much we have, but how we use what we have. Jesus said, “Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt: 6:33). He promises us that he will supply what we need. Therefore, He says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:6). If we have a need we are to commit it unto the Lord. We are to seek his will, do what we can, and leave the outcome with the Lord. Paul wrote, “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). In Hebrews 13:5-6 we are commanded “ to be content with such things as we have for He hath said I will never leave you nor forsake you. So that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man can do to me.” When we can’t change our circumstances, we can ask God to change us.

God also wants us to lean on Him with our problems. He told Paul after He refused to remove his “thorn in the flesh”, “My grace is sufficient for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Jesus said “Come unto me all you that are heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11: 28). He has already promised that He will not put on us more than we can bear (1Cor. 10:13). No wonder the apostle. Paul responded by saying “Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor.12: 9-10). God’s power can do for us what we can not do for ourselves.

Third, God wants us to lean on Him with our plans. He warns us not to boast about what we are going to do for we don’t even know what this day we have will bring to our lives (James 5:15}. The Psalmist wrote, “Commit your way unto the Lord, and He will bring it to pass (37:5). He tells us to “trust in the Lord with all our heart, and lean not to our own understanding. In all our ways acknowledge Him and He will bring it to pass” (Prov. 3:5-6). He wants us to lean on Him with our plans.

So the question comes then, why are we so dissatisfied, so discontent? Need we forget that “He who spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things (Rom. 8: 32)? Shall we forget that the Son who died for us and is risen again has ascended to the right hand of the Father where He ever liveth to make intercession for us? (Rom 8:34). Will we forget that nothing that can come our way will separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:35-39) or pluck us out of His hand (John 10:28). Will we forget that the Holy Spirit is our Comforter, one called along side to help in our time of need? (John 14:16) Will we make all the promises of God of no effect? Has He not said “When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee.” (Isaiah 43:2a) or I shall supply all thy need according to My riches in glory. (Phil. 4:19)? Has He not said that all our troubles work for us here and in the life to come (Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 4:16-18)? Has He not invited us to come boldly before His throne of grace that we might find help in our time of need (Heb. 4:16)? Let us then keep “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradictions against Himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your minds…” (Heb. 12:2-3). He wants us to learn to lean on Him with our possessions, our problems, and our plans. Are we doing that today?