Day 6 | The Contentment Challenge – Shawna

 Many of us might be more familiar with the KJV of this verse: “I shall not want.” There is a whole lot we want or wish for. Greed, gluttony, and lust are common sins, yet easily overlooked among Christians. What would it look like to shift our perspective, realizing that when the Lord is our shepherd, there is nothing we lack?

The Hebrew word for lack here is ḥāsēr, meaning to lack, be without, decrease, or have a need.[1] Our shepherd provides everything we need and wants us to rest and find contentment in Him. There will always be things that we could want, but do we trust Him to provide what we truly need?

A great example of God meeting the needs of His people is when He provided mana in the wilderness. Not surprisingly, we find the Hebrew word ḥāsēr here as well.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions… When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’”

The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little (ḥāsēr). Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.                          -Exodus 16:4, 14-18

God provided each one exactly what each person needed for that day. In other words, God provided their daily bread.

In the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus taught His disciples, He said:

Give us this day our daily bread. -Matthew 6:11

This prayer is all about trusting our Father, Shepherd, and Provider to meet our daily needs. If you are in economic instability, we pray you would trust God to meet your daily needs. Pray in faith, trust Him, and reach out and allow us to be the flock to help care for you. https://mcc.church/prayer-care 

Sometimes, God cares for His sheep

through others in the flock. If you’d like to give anonymously to the MCC

Benevolence fund to help those in need in our church and community, visit

mcc.church/give and designate “benevolence.”

However, many of us have all we could possibly need and then some. For us, a better prayer might be “Lord teach us to know when enough is enough.”[2] We worship money instead of God. We hoard and collect instead of giving generously. We worry and stress instead of trusting. Remember, Jesus said,

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. – Matthew 6:19-21

When we remember we are eternal beings, created to live forever with our Good Shepherd, we can recognize that lacking nothing goes so much further than the things of this world. There may be times where we are hungry or cold. We may wonder where our next paycheck will come from, but we don’t have to wonder if God sees us, knows our need, and already has a plan for how He will meet that need. God has put His Spirit into our hearts to give us everything we need. The Spirit gives us power, courage, and peace. And one day, we will live forever with our Shepherd, where there is no more hunger, sickness, death, or lack.

REFLECT

1. How much trust do I put in money v. God?

2. How content am I? Am I storing up treasure in this life or in Heaven?

3. Am I intentional about generosity toward the poor? Do I steward the resources God has entrusted to me with generosity and prayer so I can meet the needs of others (because all our money and possession are really His anyway)?

PRAYER

Lord, you are my shepherd, there is nothing that I lack. Lord, in you I have everything I need. Your Spirit inside me is all I need to live the Christian life. I acknowledge that I was made for more than this earth, and I want to be a good steward with my time, talents, and treasure while I am here. Help me to be content with what I have, who I am, and the circumstances you’ve placed me in. Help me to remember and trust that you know my needs and delight in meeting them. Lord, give us this day our daily bread. Provide for the needs of the poor, and show me how I can help. Lord, teach me to know when enough is enough. Help me to be content.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

Go out of your way to care for the poor this week. Perhaps you pack an extra meal and look for a homeless person to deliver it to. Maybe you pay for someone’s groceries anonymously. Provide for the poor, but also interact with them and show them love.