Contentment

I would love to have a garden                             
near mountain and river and field
where in Summer I’d sit and ponder in peace
on the beauty of nature revealed
I would love to watch in the Autumn
as the farmer is harvesting hay
and see mountains all covered in snow and mist
in the Winter when skies are grey
I would love to hear little lambs bleating
to their mothers when Spring comes around
and see poppies bright red in the meadow
and corn flowers covering the ground

But as I watch all the birds in the bay tree  

as they chatter and squabble and sing
and I sit in the shade of my cherry tree
I know I have the next best thing
For as I look at the beauty of one small part    
of creation entrusted to me
I marvel again at the fact that Your hand
has fashioned each thing that I see
Like the garden spider who spins her web
hung low as she hides from her prey
while the butterfly fluttering high in the tree
lives to see yet another day

Although we may find a great contentment in what we have in our physical lives, there is no greater contentment than that which is found in our spiritual lives when we are born again of God's Spirit in Jesus.
So as I journey along in God's Spirit I say this prayer to Him:-

Lord never let me turn aside
from Your reproof because of pride
that mercy and humility
may be the power that reigns in me
Lord when I have to make a stand
when truth and lies go hand in hand
and righteousness must be my choice
bring me to speak with mighty voice

Lord never let me turn and run
when man's injustice has been done
show me the way to conquer fear
as You say 'Be still, your Lord is near'
Lord let Your wisdom overrule
the wisdom of this foolish fool
that I might some day be made whole
in body, Spirit, mind and soul

Lord let Your Spirit take firm grip
upon my actions when I slip
Bless me with guidance from Your throne
that I might call what's Yours my own
....A counsellor proved sure and true
A comforter sent forth from You.


Father Your beauty's all over the earth
if we take time to look around
but contentment discovered within our new birth
is the place where true peace can be found


In order to die to our fleshly, sinful self  we have to continue to grow in the Lord, and put the old man to death. This can be quite hard as our carnal mind is totally different to the mind of Christ.  I say this prayer to the Lord, asking for His guidance to overrule the guidance of my carnal mind.


Lord when I’m being taunted and mocked for loving You
Cause me to remember that You were taunted too
When I’m being laughed at for calling on Your name
Let me see You standing there and taking all that shame
And if I’m being tempted to draw back into sin
Tell me ‘Turn away child, don’t let the devil win’
Lord sometimes it’s difficult to die to sinful man
When the Spirit says ‘You can’t’ and the flesh says ‘Yes you can’
I’m so afraid I’ll fail You, the old man can be strong
Sometimes it’s hard to tell Lord what’s right and what is wrong
The old man says ‘Retaliate!’ To every harsh word said
The new says ‘You’ve been born again, the old man is now dead’
So Lord teach me to listen, when I hear You speak
Create in me a spirit that is lowly and meek
Take away the old man of anger, greed and lust
Form a new creation inside this outer crust
Help me to forgive them , when the world abuses me
Teach me how to show Your love, that I know can set them free
Lord help me go all the way to that rugged cross
Show me that to lose this life is gain and not a loss
And then just like the chrysalis that hangs upon it’s thread
I’ll become a butterfly - and You’ll have raised the dead