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This month, Living Contentment is The 2024 Contentment Challenge. So instead of the regular- something to: read | do | pray – I’m sending out these shorter, more actionable Contentment Challenges. Enjoy! Challenges so far: #4 – Plan on Contentment There is something to be said about anticipating God showing up. Sometimes we can look forward to contentment if we look forward to God showing up. Sometimes there is something we can do as a tangible way to show we have faith that God will show up. Recently I read about how when the people of Israel made it across to the other side of the Red Sea, they had a little celebration. Yes – I knew that. But there is somethign there I had always glossed right over.
Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine, and all the women followed her with tambourines, dancing. Miriam led them in singing,
Sing to God— what a victory! He pitched horse and rider into the sea! Exodus 15:20-21 Remember the situation, the people of Israel had been told to flee: This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste
They were to eat and run, run for their lives. They were going to be followed by the most powerful army in the world. They were running towards the sea, where by all logic they would be trapped. And they have now just escaped with what they have carried in their hands as they ran across the sea bed of the Red Sea. And yet ….when they got to the other side, they had tambourines. When Miriam packed up to flee, she packed up her instruments of worship and praise. She was anticipating a time of celebration. She was anticipating God showing up. She was anticipating a time of contentment – even when she was packing up to flee in a time of what you think would be unbelievable heartache, panic, fear, and everything you imagine to be discontentment. So here’s what I think we should all try to do. Bank on God showing up. Assume he will act. Anticipate contentment. What can you do – tangibly, practically – right now, that only really makes sense if God shows up? What tambourines can you pack? What can you do, make, say, or plan on – that kind of only makes sense if God does show up? I think the reason we (at least I) hesitate to do so, is that I don’t want to be disappointed. I don’t want to see God let me down. If I’m perfecdtly honest, I’m scared I’ll see God fail. But perhaps more often – I need the faith of Myriam and need to assume there will be contentment in the future. |
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