cold_winds

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary Life

Cold Winds

There's been a change in our weather front. The wind chimes have still been chiming furiously, but the warm Chinook winds have turned cold.

It went from shirtsleeve weather to hat, vest, jacket and gloves in a matter of hours. As I walked the dog last night the wind had a decidedly nasty bite to it. The temperatures have begun to drop down again, and while they are not yet down to seasonal norms, the change makes it feel extra cold.

The delightful Chinook that everyone was enjoying is now a cold wind that everyone is complaining about.

Many things in life are like that. We see them, we want them, we grab a hold and they seem delightful for a moment but are suddenly replaced by a desire for something new or they're simply not what we hoped.

How many of you got Christmas gifts that were just what you wanted, but have already seen something better or the same thing on sale cheaper in the new year flyers? How many of the kids are already bored with their gifts and wanting something new?

Did the new house, car, promotion or status symbol really provide all the answers to life and the contentment you were hoping it would?

Far too often the things we lust for are like the Chinook wind and just leave coldness in our hands when we grab onto them. Yet, we seldom learn, we buy into the lie that it's the next widget or promotion that will bring us contentment. Just a newer one, or one more will do it.

We've become material and job junkies. It takes more stuff, more money, more often to keep the edge on but it never really satisfies.

It's time to get clean. It's time to find the secret of true contentedness. It's time we opted out of the lies of the world.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 NIV

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 NIV

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. Philippians 4:11b-13 NIV

Knowing who you are in Jesus and truly giving your life over to Him is the secret to inner peace, joy and contentment. You'll never find those things in the cold winds of the world's promises.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one! can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:1-10 NIV

We're saved by his grace, made alive in Him and separated from this world. Don't you think it's time you began to live out who you truly are?

Until next time, set aside all the things of this world and find true contentedness by putting aside the cold winds of the world and basking in the warm love of Jesus.

Be blessed.

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)!

Kevin

http://gleaningsfromtheword.com/

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