Be At Peace & Content
Psalm 42:5
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? Why art thou disquieted within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior…
Psalm 119:165
Abundant peace belongs to those who love Your instruction; nothing can make them stumble.
Isaiah 32:17
The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence for ever.
John 14:1
Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:11
I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
1 Timothy 6:6
Godliness with contentment is great gain.
Thomas a' Kempis The Imitation of Christ
He has great tranquility of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of men. He will easily be content and at peace, whose conscience is pure. You are not holier if you are praised, nor more sinful if you are found fault with. What you are, that you are; neither by word can you be made greater or lesser than what you are in the sight of God.
Miguel de Molinos The Spiritual Guide, 1675
Thou art to know that thy soul is the center, habitation, and kingdom of God. That therefore, to the end the sovereign King may rest on that throne, thou oughtest to take pains to keep thy soul pure, quiet, void and peaceable; pure from guilt and defects; quiet from fears; void of affections, desires and thoughts; and peaceable in temptation and tribulation. Thou oughtest always then to keep thine heart in peace, that thou mayest keep pure that temple of God, and with a right and pure intention thou art to work, pray, obey, and suffer, without being in the least disturbed, whatever it pleases the Lord to send unto thee.
Richard Sibbes The Bruised Reed adapted in Voices From The Past - Puritan Devotional Readings
These words express the glorious power of the Spirit in a mature Christian, and serve as our pattern. "I have learned", said Paul. This is very significant. It is not the learning of education, but of holiness. All the degrees in this world cannot teach it. Paul did not learn is at Gamaliel's feet, but from Christ, and through much affliction. Nature never teaches it. It is learned with many stripes in the school of Christ.
God carries his children through this world through a variety of conditions. Sometimes we lack, and at other times we abound. This allows our graces to be tested. We will find that God's love is stable, certain, and constant in a variety of conditions. God does not change, and his love is constant however our lives might change. We must learn not to quarrel with God's government. Let God do as he please as he brings us to heaven. It is no matter what the way is like, or how rugged it is, as long as he brings us there.
God's grace is able to carry his children above all conditions. A man of grace is not overly dejected with abasement or overly lifted up in abundance, but carries himself in a uniform manner. He is able to abound or lack without yielding to the temptations of those estates. He can abound without pride and lack without impatience. God is his portion. If a ray of light is taken away, he still has the sun. In the poorest estate, God is his still. He can lack and abound without murmuring and without dejection of spirit. Those that are not brought up in Christ's school are not able to do this. If they abound, they are proud, and if they are cast down, they murmur, fret and are dejected, as if there were no providence to rule the world. This is the excellency of a Christian; he has leaned to abound and lack without being trapped by their snares.
Thomas Manton A Practical Exposition of the Lord's Prayer, "Give us this day our daily bread"
The shepherd and not the sheep chooses the pasture. Leave it to God to give what is suitable to your condition of life. Spiritual miseries (lie in) a war between a man's affections and his condition.
Frederick William Robertson (of Brighton) “Reconciliation by Christ”, a sermon preached February 2, 1851
http://articles.ochristian.com/article11537.shtml
It is not by change of circumstances, but by fitting our spirits to the circumstances in which God has placed us, that we can be reconciled (at peace) to life and duty.
Sinclair B. Ferguson In Christ Alone
Christian contentment is the direct fruit of having no higher ambition than to belong to the Lord and to be totally at His disposal in the place He appoints, at the time He chooses, with the provision He is pleased to make. It was with mature wisdom, then, that the young Robert Murray McCheyne wrote, ‘It has always been my aim, and it is my prayer, to have no plans with regard to myself.’ What people noticed about McCheyne was how content he was to pursue one driving ambition: to know Christ. It is not accidental that when we make Christ our ambition we discover that He becomes our sufficiency and we learn contentment in all circumstances.
Jeremiah Burroughs The Rare Jewel Of Christian Contentment
Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.
When reason can go no higher, let faith get on the shoulders of reason and say, “I see (another) land though reason cannot see it, I see good that will come out of all this evil.”
John Bunyan Heart's Ease in Heart Troubles (linked below)
Satan hath never more advantage than upon discontent.
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones "Learning To Be Content" on Philippians 4:11-13
Let me give you some of the steps of (Paul's) argument which you can work out for yourself:
Conditions are always changing, therefore I must obviously not be dependent upon conditions.
What matters supremely and vitally is my soul and my relationship to God.
God is concerned about me, as my Father, and nothing happens to me apart from God.
God's will and God's ways are a great mystery, but I know that whatever He wills or permits is of necessity for good.
Every situation in life is the unfolding of some manifestation of God's love and goodness. Therefore my business is to look for this peculiar manifestation of God's goodness and kindness.
I must regard circumstances and conditions, therefore, not in and of themselves [only to be endured] but as a part of God's dealing with me in the work of perfecting my soul. [Seeking to know what God is teaching me in this.]
Whatever my conditions may be at this present moment they are only temporary and they can never rob me of the joy and the glory that are awaiting me ultimately with Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:17)
A.W. Tozer The Set of the Sail
Let us cultivate simplicity; let us fill our minds with the Word of God and our hearts with praise. In that way we can live in peace even in such a distraught world as this. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." (John 14:27)
John Flavel, The Mystery of Providence
Two things destroy the peace and tranquility of our lives; our bewailing past disappointments, or fearing future ones.
(Missionary motto: No ‘if onlys’ about the past, no ‘what ifs' about the future, no fantasies about the present.)
Thomas Brooks The Unsearchable Riches Of Christ
Lord, keep down my sins, and keep up my heart to honour you in all my troubles. Though my burdens are doubled and troubles multiplied, help me to honour you by trusting, waiting and submitting to you, and I shall sing my cares away and say, it is enough.
Jeremy Taylor The Golden Grove
O Almighty God, give to Thy servant a meek and gentle spirit, that I maybe slow to anger, and easy to mercy and forgiveness. Give me a wise and constant heart, that I may never be moved to an intemperate anger for any injury that is done or offered. Lord, let me ever be courteous, and easy to be entreated; let me never fall into a peevish or contentious spirit, but follow peace with all men; offering forgiveness inviting them by courtesies, ready to confess my own errors, apt to make amends, and desirous to be reconciled.
Let no sickness or cross accident, no employment or weariness, make me angry or ungentle and discontented, or unthankful, or uneasy to them that minister to me; but in all things make me like unto the holy Jesus.
William Cowper Olney Hymn No. 131 "Contentment"
Fierce passions discompose the mind,
As tempests vex the sea;
But calm content and peace we find,
When, Lord, we turn to Thee.
In vain by reason and by rule
We try to bend the will;
For none but in the Saviour's school
Can learn the heavenly skill.
Since at His feet my soul has sate,
His gracious words to hear,
Contented with my present state,
I cast on Him my care.
"Art thou a sinner, soul?" He said,
"Then how canst thou complain!
How light thy troubles here, if weigh'd
With everlasting pain!"
"If thou of murmuring wouldst be cured,
Compare thy griefs with mine;
Think what my love for thee endured,
And thou wilt not repine."
"'Tis I appoint thy daily lot,
And I do all things well;
Thou soon shalt leave this wretched spot,
And rise with me to dwell."
"In life my grace shall strength supply,
Proportion'd to thy day;
At death thou [still] shalt find me nigh,
To wipe thy tears away."
Thus I, who once my wretched days
In vain repinings spent,
Taught in my Saviour's school of grace,
Have learnt to be content.