``But the children rebelled against Me they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live they profaned My sabbaths. `Sanctify My sabbaths and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.' `I am the LORD your God walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and observe them. ``I said to their children in the wilderness, `Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. ``Yet My eye spared them rather than destroying them, and I did not cause their annihilation in the wilderness.

``Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands,īecause they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them they even profaned My sabbaths, for their heart continually went after their idols. ``But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, before whose sight I had brought them out. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to annihilate them. They did not walk in My statutes and they rejected My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live and My sabbaths they greatly profaned. ``But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. ``Also I gave them My sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. ``I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live. ``So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. ``But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. ``But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me they did not cast away the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. ``I said to them, `Cast away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt I am the LORD your God.' On that day I swore to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands. ``Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Make them know the abominations of their fathers Īnd say to them, `Thus says the Lord GOD, ``On the day when I chose Israel and swore to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am the LORD your God,

``Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, `Thus says the Lord GOD, ``Do you come to inquire of Me? As I live,' declares the Lord GOD, ``I will not be inquired of by you.'' Now in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me.Īnd the word of the LORD came to me saying, Then, by relying on the Lord’s wisdom and strength, we’ll discover the contentment only He can give. But if we realize that whatever God allows is for our good, we’ll be able to surrender our will and desires. As long as we try to control the situation or maneuver our way out of it, we’ll be stressed and discontent. Submission and trust are essential for contentment. (Of course, when hardship is due to abuse or certain other sinful situations, pastors or Christian counselors can help us discern whether self-protection is necessary.)

He’s working out His perfect plan through each event in our life-even the ones we don’t like. But if we fight against our circumstances, we’ll be miserable because we’re resisting the Lord and His purposes for us. Such acceptance is possible only if we maintain a biblical perspective and rely on God’s strength in our weakness. 5:3-5.) In these situations, contentment is the ability to accept life as it is-not wanting anything more or different. God allows various kinds of suffering to help us mature in faith and become more like Jesus. Like the apostle Paul, we can learn to be content with whatever God brings or allows in our life. As Christians, we don’t have to live this way. If life is going smoothly, then we feel good, but when it gets hard, our mood drops. Too often we let our circumstances determine our attitude.

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