He sat down to a sad supper that was far from scrumptious, but he wasn’t sad in his soul. The Puritan man nestled in his chair for dinner, with only bread and water on the table. And because the man was always pleased with God’s provision, he bowed his head and gave thanks: “All this, and Jesus, too?” What the man possessed in Jesus was greater than what he lacked in life. And he was content with Christ even if Christ was all he ever had.
King David felt this way, too. That is why he declared in the opening of Psalm 23, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (v. 1). He was content with God alone. He did not need anything else because just knowing God as His shepherd was better than whatever he didn’t have. Once, a little girl was called upon in a Sunday school class to read Psalm 23:1, and she effectively proclaimed David’s intent, saying, “The Lord is my shepherd—that’s all I want.”
This is the kind of cheerful contentment and sanctified satisfaction that should settle in the soul of every saint. The Scripture commands it: “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”” (Heb. 13:5). In other words, be content because you have Jesus, and because you will always have Jesus. Be content like the prophet Habakkuk, who declared that he was happy with losing everything as long as God remained:
“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places” (Hab. 3:17-19a).
Are you content with Christ alone? Would you be satisfied with only Jesus if you had no food in your belly, clothes on your back, or a roof above your head? Would you be content with God if you lost all your money and earthly possessions tomorrow? If you had no friends, family, or anyone else to rely upon, would you be content with just the presence of the Shepherd? Can you say with Paul: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil. 3:11-13)?
Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.
Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).
For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word:
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