May 30

“[Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego] were confident in God’s ability to deliver them, but they trusted Him so completely that they did not ask to be spared.  Does your faith need miracles to sustain it?”  H. Blackaby, Experiencing God Day-by-Day, 5/30

Another major “artery clogger” besides the unforgiveness I spoke of yesterday is discontentment.  Discontentment is like the cholesterol that causes the plaque in the arteries leading to the physical heart—the cholesterol is the result of an unhealthy diet, not the root cause of the clogged artery.  Just like we can become so focused on the cholesterol in our food that all we can think about is ourselves we must not focus on what we’re discontented about.  Instead we must look at why we would be discontented to begin with.  It’s our ungrateful hearts that allow us to fall into discontentment.  So, just like we must strive for a healthy lifestyle by the foods we eat and the amount of exercise our bodies get, we must strive for a healthy spiritual life which consists of daily thanksgiving to and praising of God as well as acts of service.  These will condition our spiritual lives in such a way that discontentment and unforgiveness will not gain a foothold in our lives.  It also keeps our focus on God rather than on ourselves.  In this way I can be like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in trusting God for whatever He allows into my life.  I won’t continually be asking Him for a miracle in order to feel contentment in my situation.  Instead whatever is will be good because I know that God can be trusted to care for me.

“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit,” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19