Seasoned with hope

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken." Psalm 34:19-20

Coming off from a very tiring weekend, I had like no energy coming into today.  However, reading this this morning gave my dry and weary bones a much needed drink - even though physically I'm not feeling 100%.

 "I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content."—Philippians 4:11.
THESE words show us that contentment is not a natural propensity of man. "Ill weeds grow apace." Covetousness, discontent, and murmuring are as natural to man as thorns are to the soil. We need not sow thistles and brambles; they come up naturally enough, because they are indigenous to earth: and so, we need not teach men to complain; they complain fast enough without any education. But the precious things of the earth must be cultivated. If we would have wheat, we must plough and sow; if we want flowers, there must be the garden, and all the gardener's care. Now, contentment is one of the flowers of heaven, and if we would have it, it must be cultivated; it will not grow in us by nature; it is the new nature alone that can produce it, and even then we must be specially careful and watchful that we maintain and cultivate the grace which God has sown in us. Paul says, "I have learned . . . to be content;" as much as to say, he did not know how at one time. It cost him some pains to attain to the mystery of that great truth. No doubt he sometimes thought he had learned, and then broke down. And when at last he had attained unto it, and could say, "I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content," he was an old, grey-headed man, upon the borders of the grave—a poor prisoner shut up in Nero's dungeon at Rome. We might well be willing to endure Paul's infirmities, and share the cold dungeon with him, if we too might by any means attain unto his good degree. Do not indulge the notion that you can be contented with learning, or learn without discipline. It is not a power that may be exercised naturally, but a science to be acquired gradually. We know this from experience. Brother, hush that murmur, natural though it be, and continue a diligent pupil in the College of Content.-Charles H. Spurgeon.

I love to learn...when it's fun.  No really, I do enjoying learning.  My family teases me and say that I should have been a teacher.  I thought about it, and I believe that I would have enjoyed it. :)  

This morning, reading "in whatsoever state I am...be content", I was hit with it:  I must be content even in my present state: singleness.  I'm not sure why, but this year started out as a bit of a challenge for me.  I feel even more single than I did a few years ago.  Is it even possible, to feel more single than what you actually are?  Maybe it has to do with the time of year.  I always seem to feel kinda down this time of the year - with it being cold and kind of grey and all.    I seem to await spring with much anticipation.  Like I want to get over this hard part of the year and get to the good, easy and warm part.  
That doesn't seem to fit with the above verse, now does it?  "...in whatsoever state I am..." That doesn't just mean the happy states, it also means the unpleasant ones too.

I know that I am just going through a season, but then again isn't life just a season?

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" Ecc 3:1

This verse is so very poetic to me.  It reminds me that every little thing that happens in my life; every little pain, hurt, lonely moment, is all for His glory.  Is that hard to grasp sometimes?  Absolutely!  Right now it's hard to grasp.  However,  I know that this is my season; that God has me right where He wants me.  That's a pretty amazing thought, no?  That the Maker of the universe has YOU right where He wants you?  My mind cannot even comprehend His goodness towards me.

So, what's a girl to do in my season of life?  Make the most of it?  Give up on the hopes and desires?  I think not.  While part of me wants to give up;maybe (I say that very loosely!) lower my standers (which, I assure you, aren't so high that they aren't attainable!) and just mope, I cannot do it.  One of the ladies in my Bible study has said on more than one occasion, "If there is love there is hope."  This morning while praying for my future husband I thought, I can't hope just for the sake of hoping and wanting.  I can hope because a perfect One already loves me. Someone who was so perfect and blameless that even death itself could not hold Him; Someone who thought me, a no good sinner, something lovely and died so that my soul may live eternally with Him in Glory, and with that I can hope.  I choose to put my Hope in the Lord.  I choose to Give God all of it - even on the days when I feel I cannot go on, I will (with His unending faithfulness) hope.

"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is." Jeremiah 17:7

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be wear; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

"Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God." Psalm 1146:5

"The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him." Lamentations 3:25

This song has become the song of my heart lately.  I guess you can say it has helped "season" me. ;) Okay, God has been doing the seasoning part, but it has still helped fix my gaze.  Give it a listen and tell me what you think. :)

 May this day be a blessing to you and may you never forget that all we do is ALL for His Glory!

~Sarah

P.S. I wrote another post that talks about this; you can read it here.