1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000 Good morning. How are you guys doing this morning? 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:10,000 Alright, so my name is Jordan and today's scripture reading is from Philippians 4, 11 through 13. 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:14,000 It is page 667 in the Bibles on the back of the pews. 4 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,000 I'll give you guys a second to find that. 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,000 667. 6 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:26,000 I don't say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. 7 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:30,000 I know how to make do with little and I know how to make do with a lot. 8 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:35,000 In any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being content. 9 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:44,000 Whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need, I'm able to do all things through him who strengthens me. 10 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,000 This is God's word. 11 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:59,000 I think that's the first time I've followed my son into the pulpit. 12 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,000 I can't recall another time. 13 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:08,000 A couple of words of introduction. 14 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,000 One, man, it's good to be home. 15 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:18,000 I've been on the road a lot and am blessed to do that. 16 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,000 I feel so blessed to be called to do that. 17 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:32,000 But, you know, I'm, oh thank you, I'm fighting a cold so that he's bringing my Kleenex and taking good care of me. 18 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:39,000 Two, I really want to say this, how grateful I am to have John as my pastor. 19 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:47,000 And I'm humbled to stand in this pulpit this morning because I'm not the teacher John is. 20 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:52,000 So I appreciate being here this morning. 21 00:01:52,000 --> 00:02:00,000 I also want to recognize, obviously I've got a cold, I sound more like Joe Cocker than I usually do. 22 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:06,000 But I'm fighting a cold and fighting some other things. 23 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:19,000 And my wife really helped put together this message and kind of edited and reworked it and said, you know, you don't need to say that. 24 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:24,000 You should say this. 25 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:33,000 Let's pray. Jesus, you know it's my heart that people be blessed by you and not in any way impressed by me this morning. 26 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:41,000 That we would hear the pure word that your spirit wants to lay on our hearts as only he can. 27 00:02:41,000 --> 00:03:07,000 So that we walk out with truth and conviction and freedom and joy and love, peace and grace. The gifts that you so want to give to us, we pray. Amen. 28 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:20,000 Well, as Jordan read the scripture, I have this morning kind of the dubious task of opening the word and teaching from Philippians 4, 10 through 13. 29 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,000 And let me explain. 30 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:43,000 Paul, in closing this letter to the Philippians, talks about contentment. And we live in a culture, don't we, that's driven by discontentment, by entitlement. 31 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:55,000 Our lives are polluted with envy and I want what I want and selfishness. 32 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,000 Let me give you a few examples. 33 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:06,000 We get on a plane. I get on a plane and I walk through the 12 passengers sitting in first class. 34 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:12,000 I don't even know them, but I don't like them immediately. 35 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:31,000 How did you get in first class as you drink your tomato juices and you're, you know, reading the New York Times and all of those things while I'm crammed into a, and I'm a little guy, but I'm still crammed into economy. 36 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:38,000 Or we get upset when somebody takes our parking spot. 37 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:44,000 Yeah. All of a sudden, what are they doing in my parking spot? 38 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:51,000 Didn't they see me wait? Don't they know? You know? 39 00:04:51,000 --> 00:05:05,000 Or as we're parking our broke down junker, we envy that person driving into the parking lot with that brand new Tesla. 40 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:10,000 And we wonder why them and not us? 41 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:14,000 What's the deal? 42 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:23,000 We get angry at someone else who gets the job we believe we deserve. What are they, how did they get my job? Right? 43 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:29,000 And we become envious and discontented. 44 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:43,000 We envy vacations, abilities and talents, you name it, and it can take on for us an idol and an altar of envy and discontentment. 45 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:51,000 That's the culture that we live in. It's the culture Paul lived in. 46 00:05:51,000 --> 00:06:06,000 It's one of those tools the enemy would love to use. So you get the picture of what I'm up against as the communicator this morning. 47 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:11,000 But Paul has this incredible lesson he wants us to learn out of this passage. 48 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:15,000 So let's reread what Jordan read to us. 49 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:21,000 Let's go back to the tenth verse of chapter four. 50 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:30,000 And now I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me. 51 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:37,000 Again, I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn't have the chance to help me. 52 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:46,000 Not that I was ever in need, for I've learned how to be content with whatever I have. 53 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:51,000 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. 54 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:59,000 I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little, 55 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:06,000 for I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. 56 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:12,000 Wow. That's a lot, isn't it? 57 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:16,000 Let's unpack that passage a little bit. 58 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:28,000 First of all, let me define what, again, the Oxford Language Dictionary, which again is kind of a worldly source, says is the definition of contentment. 59 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:32,000 It's a state of happiness or satisfaction. 60 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:41,000 The synonyms include enjoyment, happiness, satisfaction, or pleasure. 61 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:47,000 Even that appeals to my flesh an awful lot, doesn't it? 62 00:07:47,000 --> 00:08:05,000 It sort of states the underlying problem that we have in our world is that we don't really understand the source and the power of contentment. 63 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,000 Let's dig in a little bit. 64 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:10,000 First, to the setting. 65 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:14,000 Paul's writing to the church in Philippi. 66 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:19,000 It's one of the gems in his ministry. 67 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:29,000 It's not been a church that he's had to write to like Corinth that had all of these problems. 68 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:36,000 But he's in prison, and it's been some time since he's heard from the church in Philippi. 69 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,000 Maybe they didn't know where he was any longer. 70 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:52,000 But they've found out, and they send, in the second chapter of this letter, it tells us that they sent Epaphroditus with a gift that they had gathered up and collected. 71 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:56,000 And isn't it a joy? It's a joy. 72 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:07,000 That church was enjoying sending Epaphroditus with this gift to give to Paul in his ministry, to partner with him. 73 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:21,000 One of the things that the second chapter of Philippians tells us about Epaphroditus is kind of a side note, is that when Epaphroditus got to where Paul was, imprisoned, he got deathly ill. 74 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:25,000 Sick into death. 75 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:30,000 To the degree that Paul didn't think he would survive. 76 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:32,000 And then he says a couple of things that are incredible. 77 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:46,000 One, God healed him, and he wanted to relieve the stress he had off of himself by sending Epaphroditus back to Philippi. 78 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:51,000 I don't want to worry anymore about him. I'm sending him back to you. 79 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,000 I love Paul's humanity, don't you? 80 00:09:53,000 --> 00:10:05,000 Sometimes we almost put Paul and others in scripture, but he's saying, I'm stressed out being responsible for Epaphroditus. 81 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,000 I'm sending him back. 82 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,000 So that's kind of the setting that we have. 83 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:23,000 And he says, you know, not that I needed this gift, but thank you for expressing your graciousness and your gift to me. 84 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:27,000 And that's the only way we can receive a gift. Amen? 85 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:31,000 The only way we can receive a gift is with gratitude and being grateful for it. 86 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:35,000 It's a gift. You didn't earn it. 87 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:38,000 That's the first thing that we see. 88 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:44,000 Paul expresses his gratitude. He thanks them for their concern. 89 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:53,000 He seems to be much more grateful for the connection with them, the partnership with them than actually the gift. 90 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,000 Thank you for being partnering. 91 00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:07,000 And as Nick was sharing with us about how we can give, we partner together here at Village. 92 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:09,000 To work together. 93 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:16,000 And something has happened here at Village that I've never had happen before. 94 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,000 And I know it's strategic. 95 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:28,000 Every time that you give a gift or I give a gift, I get a postcard that says, thank you for your gift and your support. 96 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:33,000 You know what? That just reminds me I'm part of the team. 97 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:36,000 I'm part of this thing. 98 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:41,000 That's what Paul wanted the Philippians to know. You're part of the team. 99 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:46,000 We're in this together. 100 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:55,000 Then he shares the secret with us, doesn't he? 101 00:11:55,000 --> 00:12:02,000 Because what he says is, I've not really needed your gifts because here's what I have learned. 102 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:08,000 I've learned the secret of being content. 103 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:16,000 Whether I be in great need or have plenty. 104 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,000 I've learned how to live on almost nothing. 105 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:24,000 How many of you as newlyweds know exactly what he's talking about? 106 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:30,000 Amen. Man, we lived on next to nothing. 107 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:36,000 Sometimes we'd get invited to a church dinner and we'd have to, I don't know if we can go. 108 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,000 We can't afford. 109 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:44,000 And somebody oftentimes would step up and say, we'll take care of it for you. 110 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,000 Not that we had complained about it. 111 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:50,000 Maybe we looked troubled on our faces, but they stepped up. 112 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:51,000 They teamed up with us. 113 00:12:51,000 --> 00:13:04,000 And he's saying here, I've learned this incredible secret, how to thrive with nothing 114 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:18,000 and how to be content in the most posh of circumstances. 115 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:25,000 Learned. That's part of this, isn't it? 116 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:29,000 This isn't something that just happens. 117 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:35,000 It's a grace that we have to learn how to be content. 118 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:45,000 Again, I go back to most of us, very few of us, if any, have not been subject from very early on 119 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:52,000 to the idea of being discontent. 120 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:56,000 And so we need to go to the school of contentment, if you will. 121 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:02,000 We need to learn the secret that Paul is talking about here. 122 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:09,000 He's saying, I've been in Lydia's home, who was one of the founders of the church in Philippi, 123 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:14,000 believed to be probably one of the most prosperous women in Philippi. 124 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:16,000 She must have had a beautiful home. 125 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:22,000 He said, I've been in Lydia's home, been treated to the best of things, 126 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:27,000 and I've been shipwrecked and lost at sea. 127 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,000 I've slept on the ground. I've been bitten by snakes. 128 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:37,000 I mean, you know, he begins to list all of the terrible things that he's gone through. 129 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:46,000 But what he's saying is, whether I'm living high or whether I have nothing or am in prison, 130 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:48,000 I've learned the secret. 131 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:53,000 Contentment is a learning process. 132 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,000 Somebody say amen. 133 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:59,000 It just doesn't come natural. 134 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,000 It's a learning process. 135 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:11,000 It's understanding where all of our blessings come from. 136 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:25,000 It's putting into practice what we're learning from and of the Lord, who is our source of contentment. 137 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:33,000 We cannot be content without knowing where contentment comes from. 138 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:40,000 Paul says it comes from putting some things into practice. 139 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:47,000 One of the most misquoted scriptures is in this passage, 140 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:51,000 for I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. 141 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:57,000 How many of you have heard that quoted for all sorts of things? 142 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:06,000 Going into take the MCAT, and you're not prepared for a certain section, 143 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,000 but I can do all things through Christ, who will strengthen me. 144 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,000 I know he's going to get me through this. 145 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:17,000 I didn't really prepare to run a half marathon, but I know he'll give me, 146 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:23,000 I'm just going to gut it out and get through it, and he's going to help me do that. 147 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:27,000 That's not what this is all about. 148 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:30,000 That's not what this verse is about at all, isn't it? 149 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:34,000 Because in the context, what is he saying? 150 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:40,000 He's saying I can do everything through him who's giving me strength. 151 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:50,000 I can be content in the most pitiful of circumstances. 152 00:16:50,000 --> 00:17:03,000 I've sat in the homes of Mexican families who will feed a ministry team 153 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:07,000 with everything they've got in their home. 154 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:15,000 And if you've ever gone on a mission trip, you've probably done what I as an American do. 155 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:19,000 Can I pay for this? 156 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:22,000 And it's insulting to them. Why? 157 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:36,000 Because their contentment and their joy is in serving those around them. 158 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:42,000 Verse 13 is not about being able to do anything we set our minds to. 159 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:48,000 We cannot gut strength our way into contentment. 160 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:53,000 We have to know and be connected to the very source of contentment, 161 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:57,000 the actual embodiment of contentment. 162 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:03,000 Christ alone, as we sang earlier this morning, in Christ alone, 163 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:10,000 I make my stand. I know he is my strength, my source, my shield. 164 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:21,000 In him I have everything I need so I can be what? Content. 165 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:29,000 I've been blessed, so blessed to have so many things. 166 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:34,000 And just like preachers of old told me, as soon as I have them, 167 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:40,000 I push them aside because they don't provide the contentment I thought they might, 168 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:48,000 the fulfillment I thought they might. 169 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:55,000 It's good to know how to be connected to strength, isn't it? 170 00:18:55,000 --> 00:19:04,000 Our son Jordan, who stood here this morning, has this weird, brute strength. 171 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:07,000 He's had it since he was a little guy. 172 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:15,000 He was less than three years old when he could stretch his hands and his feet 173 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:24,000 across the hallway of our home and spider climb all the way up to the top of the hallway. 174 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,000 It totally freaked us out. 175 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:31,000 But whenever we had company come, we'd say, Jordan, do your trick. 176 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:39,000 Show them that you can climb up this thing. It was this freak thing. 177 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:43,000 We were so impressed by that. 178 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:49,000 As a man, we now try to keep him from wall scaling, 179 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:59,000 but occasionally, you know how parents are, we don't have much control anymore. 180 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:08,000 But we know if we have something we need moved, we know who we're going to ask to help us. 181 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:13,000 We have this connection to this source of strength. 182 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:21,000 Our older son is a weightlifter, and he can lift a man. 183 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:29,000 I mean, his arms are as big as my thighs. He's huge. 184 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:35,000 He can deadlift over 500 pounds. 185 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:44,000 But when they are both at home and we need something moved, we ask Jordan. 186 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:52,000 And now Jordan is a part of this body, and I've just given away his secret. 187 00:20:52,000 --> 00:21:00,000 I mean, yesterday, yesterday, he and my wife went and helped move one of our good friends 188 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:12,000 from an apartment into a little home, and Jordan pretty much, by himself, moved a piano. 189 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:23,000 And, you know, he's just freakishly strong. 190 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:30,000 You see, we understand where there is a source of strength. 191 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:39,000 But if I'm truly going to be content, I need to understand where my real source of strength comes from. 192 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:43,000 That's what Paul gets at here. 193 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:53,000 In him, I can do all things that he would ask me to do. 194 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:58,000 As my wife and I were talking about this, she asked me this question. 195 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:06,000 Wouldn't you want to be connected to God's amazing strength? 196 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:12,000 The strength that created the heavens and the earth? 197 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:17,000 The strength that raised Christ from the dead? 198 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:28,000 And Paul says here, we have complete access to that very same strength. 199 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:34,000 So, quickly, let's answer this question. 200 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:40,000 How do we live connected to the source of contentment? 201 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:47,000 I don't think anyone in this room wants to stay discontented. Amen? 202 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:52,000 I don't think anyone here wants to be unfulfilled. 203 00:22:52,000 --> 00:23:00,000 So how do we stay connected and live connected to the source of contentment? 204 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:07,000 And this is going to sound so simple, and it is, but it's also the truth. 205 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:15,000 One, get into the word and stay in the word. 206 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:25,000 You have to know what he says about himself. 207 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:29,000 And the scriptures from the beginning to the end are a story. 208 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:34,000 They're a story about God and about us. 209 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:41,000 They're a story about his sufficiency and my insufficiency. 210 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:50,000 They're about his provision and my lack. 211 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:56,000 But we won't know that unless we're really digging into the word 212 00:23:56,000 --> 00:24:02,000 and listening to the word and allowing it to speak, allowing it to bend and shape us 213 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:12,000 rather than so often we try to bend and shape the word around how we live. 214 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:20,000 Stay there. You don't move away from it. You don't advance from there. 215 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:30,000 Second, you're probably already with me, ask God for his power to live a content life. 216 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:39,000 The enemy would love for you to stay discontented and to believe that something 217 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:52,000 or someone besides the Lord himself would give us fulfillment and contentment and purpose. 218 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:56,000 And we don't ask for it once, do we? 219 00:24:56,000 --> 00:25:04,000 Lord, continue to empower me. Continue to remind me that you are my source. 220 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:09,000 You're all that I need. You're all that I want. 221 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:24,000 And third, to obey. There is no contentment in a disobedient life. 222 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:33,000 As a kid, did you ever tell a lie to one of your parents 223 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:41,000 and knew they were going to find out? You know, you still believe they had eyes in the back of their heads. 224 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:46,000 You just knew. And what? There was no peace. There was no contentment. 225 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:52,000 There was no, you just knew you're going to be found out. 226 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:59,000 Contentment eludes us if we continue to live disobediently. 227 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:13,000 If we hear what God wants us to do and yet we go the other way, like Jonah. 228 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:26,000 When God fills our lives with contentment and peace and joy, we have no other response but gratitude. 229 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:35,000 Our homology, you know, I was thinking through songs that we sing that have to do with that, right? 230 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:43,000 Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks to the Holy One. 231 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:49,000 We used to sing a song called Forever Grateful. I'm forever grateful for the cross. 232 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:57,000 I'm forever grateful under crouches. How can I say thanks for the things you've done for me? 233 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:06,000 Things so undeserved, but you gave to prove your love for me. 234 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:24,000 Voices of a million angels could not declare my gratitude. 235 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:36,000 Isn't it a good place to be able to lay your head on your pillow at the end of the day and go, I'm content. 236 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:45,000 I may not have everything the world says I need, but I have all that I need in you. 237 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:52,000 In my relationship with you. 238 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:58,000 If you're not connected to that source of commitment I would like to be today, 239 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:10,000 please take advantage of praying with one of the elders in just a moment as we close. 240 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:23,000 It would be great to know that someone here today connected to and is experiencing in a new way God's contentment. 241 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:42,000 The contentment that only he can give us through his grace and his mercy.