A lesson on being content.

I am reading through a little devotional book called "Streams in the Desert" which is a 365 day devo. I'm really enjoying it, even though it's only January 7th. But today's message definitely stuck out to me and i wanted to share it with you.

January 7

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstance.(Philippians 4:11)

"Paul. while being denied every comfort, wrote the above words from a dark prison cell.

A story is told of a king who went into his garden one morning, only to find everything withered and dying. He asked the oak tree that stood near the gate what the trouble was. The oak said it was tired of life and determined to die because it could not bear grapes like the grapevines. The grapevine was determined to throw its life away because it could not stand erect and produce fruit as large as the peaches. The geranium was fretting because it was not tall and fragrant like the lilac.

And so it went though the garden. Yet coming to a violet, the King found its face bright and happy as ever and said,"Well Violet, I'm glad to find one brace little flower in the midst with all this discouragement. You don't seem to be the least bit disheartened." The violet responded, "No, I'm not.. I know I'm Small, yet i thought if you wanted an oak tree or a pine or a peach tree or even a lilac, you would have planted one. Since I knew you wanted a violet, I'm determined to be the best little violet I can be.

Others may do a great work

but you have you part to do;

And no one in all God's family

can do it as well as you.

People who are God's, without reservation "have learned to be content whatever the circumstances," His will becomes their will, and they desire to do for Him whatever he desires them to do. They strip themselves of everything, and in their nakedness find everything restored a hundredfold.

L.B Cowman