A Song of Contentment

¹¹ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: ¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ^[b] who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:11-13

New King James Version

If someone asked if you are content, how would you respond? Or even more importantly, what kind of thoughts would this question bring to mind? Would you think about your belongings, friends, and family and conclude that altogether there is plenty reason to be content? Or would you think that you could be content, if only a few things were added to your life? The Bible reveals that the content man does not rely on any earthly blessings, which can never satisfy, but instead the truly content man places all his hope and trust in the Lord. Psalm 62 shows the mindset of such a man, and when singing this Psalm, we are able to express our own peace in God and praise Him for the comfort, defense, and salvation He provides. Through singing and studying this Psalm, may we be immovable like David and not like those of a murmuring heart that Burroughs describes. “If a man’s body is of such a temper that every scratch of a pin makes his flesh rankle and be a sore, you would surely say this man’s body is very corrupt. So it is in your spirit, if every little trouble and affliction makes you discontented and murmur, and even causes your spirit within to rankle.” (19)

God burdened my heart with this topic through Jeremiah Burroughs’s book, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, and I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to understand true, biblical, contentment.

Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which feely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.

Jeremiah Burroughs (3)

Psalm 62

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1Truly my soul silently waits for God;
From Him comes my salvation. 
2 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be greatly moved.

           

David is content, and he demonstrates this by a “sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit” which submits to God’s will. By declaring that his soul waits silently, David refuses to be overtaken by murmuring or any other rebellious attitude towards God, and instead he waits with faith for God to bring deliverance. By “soul,” David speaks of his heart, inner-most affections, and will. We also find in the next verses that this was not a peaceful time of David’s life; his enemies were verbally attacking him. Yet from the first verses of the Psalm, one would hardly be able to tell. Looking at my own prayer life, I am ashamed to say that many of my own prayers do not start with the same peace and focus on God. Often my initial thoughts revolve around personal and troubling circumstances in my life, yet David does not start with a complaint or even a request but with humble submission to God.

So why is David content? Why is he so able to submit himself to God and say that his soul waits silently? The answer is simple: God. It is the infinite, merciful, and loving God of the universe, who is David’s salvation, both concerning the troubles of life and the penalty of sin. (Romans 8) God is his rock. As the previous Psalm explains, He is the “rock that is higher than I,” the rock which we can go to when overwhelmed. (Psalm 61:2) When we are made right with God by trusting in Jesus Christ, we also have Him as our rock, salvation, and defense. With such a God on our side, why should we be greatly moved? With such a God as our Father, we may find comfort by submitting to Him and recognizing His power and goodness.

I used to think that Christian contentment rested mainly on our external state. I thought that we were called to not complain and just deal with the trials that God puts before us in silence, but internally we were allowed to hold an abundance of turmoil. However, there are two main problems with this type of thinking. First of all, a merely outward contentment is not genuine. (Proverbs 18:14) On top of that, the mindset which concentrates on the outward state forgets about God and focuses on self. With a proper focus on God, we can recognize the goodness that God works through all situations. We may feel pain and experience hardships yet find peace by trusting in God, so at the end of the day, we can say with David that we “shall not be greatly moved.” Christian contentment is an utter mystery unless one first obtains salvation through Christ. (Matthew 11:29-30)

³ How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you,
Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
⁴ They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They delight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. Selah

            Verses 3-4 show the struggles of David and also the mindset of discontented men, David’s enemies. David sounds amazed at the tenacity of the wicked, “How long will you attack a man,” particularly since they strive in vain, “You shall be slain, all of you.” Flatteries and lies have long been the favorite tactics of the enemies of God’s people; Nehemiah dealt with such in Nehemiah 4 while building the walls of Jerusalem, and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself met much flattery and deceit from the Pharisees. (Matthew 12:9-14)

When we undergo trials, we must prayerfully go to God as David did. However, we must also be careful not to be like David’s discontented enemies. They were so rebellious against the providence of God that they sought to bring others down through sin and deceit. This seems to be the ultimate form of discontentment, as the devil, the deceiver himself, implemented such tactics against Adam and Eve in the garden. (Gen 3:1-7) Seeing the contrast between David and his enemies, we should diligently strive to be content and be fearful of becoming like David’s enemies. For the content Christian finds peace in all situations of life, but only destruction awaits those who refuse to delight in God’s will.

⁵ My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
⁶ He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
⁷ In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.

            Now as both you and I know, Christian contentment does not come naturally or easily. Often when we look at our lives and see different hardships, we forget about God and fall into despair. Thus David immediately moves his attention right back to God after speaking of his enemies. A verse that has provided me endless encouragement comes from Romans 8,

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

God is our only rock, and He is always our rock. Even when everything appears to be hopeless, God, who cannot lie, promises His people that it will work out for our good. (Titus 1:2) I find it simply astonishing that God makes certain both that His own name is glorified and also that our good is secured. (Leviticus 10:14) “For my expectation is from Him.⁶ He only is my rock and my salvation” We need to constantly remind ourselves of God’s nature and promises.

⁸ Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
⁹ Surely men of low degree are a vapor,
Men of high degree are a lie;
If they are weighed on the scales,
They are altogether lighter than vapor.

            David continues by instructing us in some practical applications and truths. If God is our refuge, we can and must pour out our hearts to Him. Many people find comfort in telling close friends of their troubles, yet we have access to the all-powerful and merciful God who is willing and able to answer our prayers. We have a High Priest who can perfectly sympathize with our weaknesses. (Hebrews 4:14) However, the general opinion of men is fleeting like vapor, while men in high positions are often a lie. Even our Christian friends, who are a great blessing, do not compare to our Father in heaven. (Proverbs 18:24) Thus “Trust in Him at all times” and “Pour out your heart before Him”.

Now it must be mentioned that there is a place for sorrow and mourning in pouring out our hearts before God. Christ himself prayed to God with His soul” exceedingly sorrowful” in the garden before His death. (Matthew 26:36-46)  Yet our Lord still submitted to the Father, “not as I will, but as you will” and rejoiced at the salvation He brought to His people. (Zephaniah 3:17) May we follow in Christ’s example and go to God in prayer with trust even in our deepest sorrows.

10 Do not trust in oppression,
Nor vainly hope in robbery;
If riches increase,
Do not set your heart on them.

            Being rich is not intrinsically good and neither is being poor. The poor are tempted to steal and feel self-righteous, while the rich are tempted to trust in their riches. J. C. Ryle points out that “a man’s temporal condition is no test of the state of his soul” through the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. So it is not wise to judge a man’s spiritual state by the size of his wallet, just as you and I should not put our trust in either our abundance or poverty. Paul said in Philippians 4:11-13 that he had learned to be content both in suffering and abounding, and we must also learn this by God’s grace and through trusting Him.

¹¹ God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
¹² Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You render to each one according to his work.

           

            God never needs to repeat Himself; He created the whole world from nothing by speaking once, yet He proclaims twice that all power belongs to Him. As Charles Spurgeon put it, “Our meditative soul should hear the echo of God's voice again and again” God is also merciful and just, and a mindfulness of God’s power, mercy, and justice should always be ringing in our minds. David starts, fills, and ends Psalm 62 with meditations and praises of God, for that is the prayer and song of a man who possesses contentment in God.  

            Every day we are tempted to worry and not trust God. Maybe for you it involves your job. Maybe you have lost heart over a relationship gone bad, financial struggle, persecution, or the death of a dear family member or friend. Whatever it is, we have Psalm 62 to sing and remind us that if we lose all else, we still have God. The risen Christ is our guarantee of salvation and throughout this life, He is also our rock and shield. Through singing this Psalm, may you never be blinded to the truths which can bring you real contentment and comfort in God. The saved and adopted by God have all the reason to be content. We simply need to remember what God has already done, have faith in what He will certainly accomplish, and see with clear eyes. ²² “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. Matthew 6:22

²² Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
²³ They are new every morning;
²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”

Lamentation 3:22-24

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Jeremiah Burroughs

http://www.chapellibrary.org/files/archive/pdf-english/rjoc.pdf

Practical Religion, J.C. Ryles