Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.  Ephesians 3:20
 

I don’t know about you, but I am pretty good at imagining.  I get to practice it on a daily basis when I play “zoo” with my kids and, as zookeeper, get to clean cages, feed baby cheetahs their bottles, and toss fish to hungry sea lions.  I don’t just imagine when I’m playing, though.  I do a lot of imagining in my ordinary life, too.  I love watching decorating shows and seeing just what those crazy designers might come up with next.  I think, “Maybe, if we just save my small paycheck for the next year, then we would have enough to buy furniture for the living room,” or “Wouldn’t it be fun to really work on our yard and make it look beautiful?”

But then reality sets in:
“Hon, I went to the dentist today, and I have to get another filling.”
“Kids, go tell Dad that the van won’t start.”

And so even our best-laid plans are way-laid once again.  Those imaginings?  Poof!  Left behind in dreamworld as the bills show up in the mailbox and the year of saving turns into three.  In those times, I am not really on the same wavelength with the Apostle Paul who said, “I have learned the secret of being content in every situation.”  Some days, I struggle with feeling content at all! 

Having a husband who is a pastor doesn’t really bring in the big bucks, does it?  Of course, most of us are aware of that going into things, but that doesn’t change the worm of discontent that so often crawls into our hearts.  We scrimp and we save and we coupon to put coupon queens to shame, and still, we are sometimes found wanting.  Yes, wanting.  Not only are we found wanting more things, better things, but in God’s sight, we are found wanting.  We fail to live up to his command to be content in every circumstance and to trust him to take care of all our needs.  We forget just how much God has already given to each of us.  We forget about Jesus, who was content to be born not in a king’s castle, but in a lowly manger, who was willing to live humbly as a carpenter’s son, and to travel in a plain fisherman’s boat or dusty sandals.  We forget, too, about the “immeasurably more” God has given to each of us when he sent his perfect, one and only Son to the cross in our place.  There, Jesus died for every sin of every person in the entire world.  He died to forgive me for the times I have thought my many blessings are not enough.  He died to forgive you for the times when you have turned away from a worldly dream, dejected, because some other expense had to come first. 
What joy to know how much our God loves us, that though we often fall into the sin of discontent, God is perfectly content, joyful even!, to call us his own.  God truly has given so much more than we can ever ask or imagine, so that despite the bills, despite the wish list that goes unfulfilled, we have our greatest need granted, free of charge.  Our sins have been forgiven!  Heaven’s glorious mansions are ours!  And, until we reach that heavenly home, we can rest content knowing that he who did not spare his own Son will also graciously give us all that we need to sustain us on our journey here below.  What a gracious God we have!

Ask the Lord

Dear Heavenly Father,
You know how often we fail to feel content with the blessings you give us and how easily we forget the ultimate gift of salvation we’ve been granted through your Son, Jesus.  Forgive us for the many times we put our hope in the things of this world instead of only in you.  When discontent finds its way into our hearts, dispel it with the true joy that is found in knowing we are part of your family, bound for a home far more glorious than anything we can imagine.  Thank you for your precious promise to love and care for your children until we reach your side.  In Jesus’ name we pray this,
Amen.