Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. Philippians 4:11.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלוהים) says:
The path of life is a path of contentment. But I am speaking of contentment in the sense of an inner stability and sufficiency that is independent of outward circumstances. It is an inner sense of being satisfied because you are living in My fulness. It is an inward sufficiency that is as valid in what the world would consider “low times” as in what is considered “high times.” It is peace beyond understanding. It comes through the indwelling power of Christ. You can do all things in Him for He strengthens you with the power of the Holy Spirit.
I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-12.
If you want a life where nothing moves you off center and you experience the supernatural in your natural, where you sing with David “only lovingkindness and good pursue me all the days of my life,” blessings chase you down and overwhelm you, and you are delivered out of every evil work, it is time for you to know what you have and how to apply it to your life.
Let us start at the table in the wilderness.
Then they spoke against God; they said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Psalm 78:19.
Yes, I can, and, yes, I did, and, yes, I do. Do you not perceive it? Wherever you are, no matter how barren or bleak, I set a table before you in the sight of your foes, I anoint your head with oil and overflow your cup. Psalm 23:5. And if you will just open wide your mouth and partake, your souls will find rest and miracles will flow. But above all, at the table you receive a higher and better view of what is taking place in the spirit realm as well as the physical realm, and there, you will find contentment. No fear at the table of plenty, you just keep eating in the sight of your enemies who cannot eat from the table. It is the children’s bread.
Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. John 4:31-34.
With respect to the Israelites in the desert that I had redeemed from the slavery of Egypt, I gave them two tables to eat from, spiritual and physical. I rained down bread on the dewfall in the morning with enough for every day of the week for forty years, when meat was needed, I sent quail upon the camp in the evening, and I made water gush out of flinty rocks, all this in a howling desert wasteland and not for just a few people but close to two million. I am the God who does wonders.
The LORD said to Moses, “Is the LORD’s power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not.” Numbers 11:23.
I feed you who are Mine even in the time of famine. Elijah never lacked in the time of drought and famine that he imposed upon Israel to bring them to their senses when they left Me for idols. I had ravens deliver food to him until I sent him to a widow and her son and multiplied her flour and oil so that her jars never ran dry during the time of the famine. And when her young son died, I raised him from the dead through My prophet Elijah. Nothing is too hard for Me. Nothing is too wonderful for Me.
But I am not just talking about physical food and drink, for you do not live on bread alone but on every Word that proceeds from My mouth. And I put My Words of power in your mouth if you will just open your mouth and give My Word utterance. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.
“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your seed, nor from the mouth of your seed’s seed,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.” Isaiah 59:21.
I have put My Words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of My hand, to plant and establish the Kingdom on earth. Are you planting so you can reap a harvest?
How can you be content in every circumstance, even with your enemies surrounding you? Because of the supply they do not see but you do. Because of the table and the anointing.
When you are in perfect protection and abundant supply you are content even in the middle of a storm (think of Jesus sound asleep in the boat in the middle of such a strong storm that the experienced fishermen thought they would perish), a famine (Elijah with the miraculous food supply and Isaac with seed that yielded a hundredfold in the dry famine land), a downturn in the economy (the 24 hour miracle of Elisha and the fish with the temple tax in its mouth for Peter), in the face of advancing powerful armies coming to take you captive (Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah defeating them with praise and taking three days to collect all the booty that was theirs without even any physical combat, Hezekiah and the angel I sent), facing a giant breathing murderous threats (David took him down with a sling shot and one stone), thrown in a fiery furnace (Shadrack, Meshach, and Abed-nego came out praising Me and not even smelling of smoke), a storm and shipwreck (Paul not moved at all and not one person lost who was on board because of him), locked in prison (Paul and Silas, opened the gates with thankful praises, and Peter led out by an angel), exile on barren islands left to die (John on Patmos where he wrote the Book of Revelation and came up content and fruitful), and I could go on and on.
Do you remember when the enemy army came to take Elisha down and encircled his home? Elisha was not a bit worried. He saw into the spirit and My legions of the Heavenly host far outnumbered the earthly army. But he did not even need them, he just conferred with me to strike all the enemy soldiers blind for the time being so they could do not harm. He then led them all out of the country after praying for them to see again and giving them a banquet.
What made the difference that all these I have just mentioned experienced great disasters and threatening enemies, storms, and imprisonment, but stayed calm, content, and unharmed? They were eating from a different table than the worldly minded. A table I offer all but few give it the attention that Joshua and others have given it. It is the difference between spirit food, My Words are Spirit and Life, and flesh food which is perishable words of the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Faith food and fear food are very different.
It is a question of who YOU have determined to serve, the flesh or the Spirit?
My apostle Paul was not only content, he overflowed with joy. Even in prison. How was that? I will show you. Listen to what he said in the middle of the worst storm he had ever experienced in his life though he had been through many storms on the sea since the devil was always trying to slow Paul down from winning souls.
When they had gone a long time without food, then Paul stood up in their midst and said, “Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss. Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’ Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on a certain island.” Acts 27:21-26.
Here is the key to being content and full of joy in any season of your life, Paul belonged to Me and I belonged to him. He proudly stood up and told the fearful crew and other prisoners that I was“the God to whom I belong and whom I serve.” He knew the One in whom He had believed, for I had shone My love and light in His heart and he had opened his heart to receive Me.
And He knew no matter what happened, I was the One who delivered him out of them all. He was the one who wrote that I make all things work together for good, no matter who or what meant them to harm you, for those who love Me and are called according to My purpose. And He trusted the truth of My Word above the worst of circumstances, “Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.” And he made that confident statement in the worst stages of the storm when all looked hopeless. And he filled the men with hope.
I am your healer and by the stripes of Jesus you are healed, in fact, healing is on the table I set before you in the sight of your foes, for, as Jesus told you, it is the children’s bread. When things in your body are attacked with the contrary are you sure beyond a doubt that it will turn out exactly as I have said? If you are not, you need to go back to the table and fill up with My Words about healing, My healing promises. For nothing is impossible for Me, and all things are possible for those who believe that. Faith connects with My power and contentment has everything to do with the level of your faith, that is, your trust, in Me.
Do you remember what Elizabeth cried out in the Spirit to Mary when she came to visit her after she had been visited by the angel Gabriel? “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the LORD.” Luke 1:45. Neither the fact that she was chosen above all women nor that she was the mother of the long awaited Messiah were the source of her great blessing, it was her faith in My Word. For My Word and how she treated My Word was the source of all her blessing. She declared herself My handmaid, the servant according to My Word. Like Paul, “the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,” and, “Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.”
The key to contentment is in who you serve. You know the same is true in your work in the world, there is a geat difference in the atmosphere of a business with a wonderful boss who serves his employees well and a harsh boss who abuses his employees. And you can tell the caliber of the leaders of the government of a country by the contentment (or discontent) of the citizens.
In serving My Son you are serving the One who serves you. He came to save you and serve you, to give His life as a ransom for all. And He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is still serving you as your great good Shepherd and your great High Priest. Both are roles of service. And when you know your Shepherd you are content. Just read Psalm 23 and it is your own as well. Content. Well cared for and never forsaken.
It is hard from many to understand this peace that surpasses understanding but there is only one way you will know it and that is by knowing Me, your God and Father, and the One whom I sent, Jesus Christ, and knowing what we are doing in you and in the world. I know when you know Me for it is then you are never worried about things, you often don’t even need to pray further than saying, “Father, just do your Will in this situation and I am all in!” And then you have perfect peace for a great result. Why? Because you know who I am and what I promise, and thus in every circumstance, once you have handed the care of over to Me and are just looking to follow what I tell you, you know it is going to be the very best, for My Will is good, pleasing, and PERFECT.
Job got in a lot of trouble with letting the devil into his life. He did it by fear, for he worried and was afraid that bad things would happen to him and his children and he had no ease or rest about it. And what he feared he called in and it overtook him. But when you center your life with confidence in My Word and cast out the fear you can call in My promises with joy and what happens? Remember worry is disobedience for it shows no faith and whatever is done without faith is sin.
“Now it shall be, if you diligently listen to and obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you listen to and obey the voice the LORD your God.” Deuteronomy 28:1-2.
There is great joy in obeying My Word for in My Word are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge for a most successful life. For many are the troubles of the righteous, but I deliver them out of them all, for they trust in Me, their eternal rock.
And even if you wander into a dark valley of the shadow of death you will not fear, for I am with you with My rod and My staff to protect you and lead you out to the table of plenty. And at that table I anoint your head with the same anointing with which I anointed Jesus and I tell you very clearly that I anointed Him with the oil of joy and that is strength. For My joy is your strength. That is one reason you can do all things through Him who strengthens, for in Him you are enabled to finish your race with joy. Let Me overflow your cup, in fact, increase your capacity for joy by rejoicing so I can pour more in.
I love you. Rest in Me and let Me guide you along the path of life so that for you it can be a path of contentment no matter what comes against you, for in Me you have found your peace. Shalom.