The Spiritual Life

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:12-13

The truth is, I may have learned "the secret" of what it is to be content in every situation, but that does not mean that I am content in every situation. I doubt that I am alone. I do know what it is like to be hungry and I have been beaten before, neither of which did I experience a sense of being content.

There have, most certainly, been times in my life where I have known God's peace in dire circumstances. 

Here is the key. And forgive me for saying something that you have most likely heard a hundred times before. The key is Christ himself, not the feeling or sentiment associated with Christ. Seek Christ. Desire Christ, not what he gives. It is part of the mystery of faith. This is the joy and peace and the contentment that Paul lived, despite the circumstances. 

It is ours as well, because we are His and He is ours...in His grace, all things are possible.

Holy God you give us all that we need or could desire, in Christ alone. Still my heart, mind, and spirit. With thanksgiving, I join with the company of the saints in praising your name, resting in your presence, now and forever. And without further rumination, I enter this day with expectant awe and wonder of being in your presence that your Spirit would reign and the light of Christ would shine ever so brightly…