Daily Devotional – 3/17/12 “Just be satisfied!”

Why are you never satisfied with the way things go, the way things or folks look or even the way things turned out? You do know that things could be worse, right? Yea, while you’re constantly putting your husband down because he leaves the toilet seat up, be thankful that he’s not going up against your head. While you are constantly putting your wife down about how she looks, you’d better be thankful she isn’t looking for someone else. While you’re constantly nagging your kids about the C they got in their class, be thankful they aren’t smoking the C, cocaine. While you’re complaining about their rooms being dirty, they could be in a dark alley using some dirty needles while shooting up. While you’re complaining about the way you look in the mirror, you ought to be glad to have eyes to see, a mouth to complain with, a body that you can look at and health and strength. You ought to just be satisfied with what you have! Just be plain ole satisfied because while you’re taking these blessings for granted someone is begging for them. You complain about the free, clean water you have when other folks have to fight for theirs. You complain about a free education, when folks have to die for theirs. You complain about the dirt on your floor when some folks are thankful to have a floor to sleep on. Child, you’d better wake up and be satisfied with what you got! Hebrews 13:5 says, “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Somebody is praying for a day with no sickness and you’re well and still complaining. Somebody is praying for a car that won’t keep cutting off in the middle of rush hour traffic, yet your car is brand new and you still want more. Somebody is grieving from the loss of a loved one, yet you got your family and you still complain. Baby, you’d better be thankful for what you got and satisfied because it could all be gone in the blink of an eye. Your life could be worse because you could be sleeping under an overpass or in an overcrowded shelter but you’re not. You could be getting up at 4AM to catch a bus to work that takes you and hour and a half to get there but you don’t. You could be standing for hours in the unemployment office each week but you’re not. You could have a child at Lebonheur who the doctors have given up on but you don’t. You could be burying your husband/wife today, but you aren’t. You could be doing chemo, radiation or dialysis 5 days per week but you’re not, so be satisfied with what you have. Yea, I know you may have migraines but it could be a tumor. Yea, I know your daughter works your nerves but she could be working the streets. I know your son talks slang like he doesn’t have any good sense but he could slang drugs. Philippians 4:11-13 says, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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 everything through him who gives me strength.”

See, God has placed you into whatever situation that you’re in, not be torn down or cast out but for you to be stronger. God knows what you can handle because he made you who you are. Look at the test he put Job through! So be satisfied with the Saturday nights you spend at home with your family when you don’t have the money to go out because God may have spared your life from a drunk driver. Be satisfied with being able to look upon the face of your family even though they only come over to borrow because they could be stealing to get what they need. Be satisfied with the rain that falls because it could be fire from God for all the sins we commit. Be satisfied with the friends you have because they could be enemies wishing death over your life. Just be satisfied for 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.” Be satisfied with what you have because you could wake up tomorrow with nothing. Be satisfied with who you have because they could be gone today. Be satisfied with whose you are because you’d be far worse off without him.