I had a second interview on Friday with the job I told you about the other day. I like the people, the atmosphere, and believe I will enjoy the job. I told you that the top end money wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. Yesterday I prayed for God’s will and asked for His peace so that I will not be able to deny the pathway He will light for my steps.

Almighty God, I bless you for my life, for the opportunities You place before me. I give you praise for your abundant mercy and grace. I thank You for Your faithfulness even though I am not always faithful to You.

Lord Jesus, I ask you to give me peace in my mind, body, soul and spirit. I ask you to heal and remove everything that is causing stress, grief, and sorrow in my life. Let your angels of peace go ahead of me when I go out and stay by my side when I return.

Lord, I ask that the peace of Christ rule in my heart, and that I have no doubt of the direction You want me to go. Lord I ask for Your perfect peace so that I know Your will for where You want me to work. I seek Your will, and ask that You give me peace in the forthcoming decision. Lord, I want to walk where You want me to walk, not in what the world tells me looks right.

Lord, I am casting my anxiety on You because You care for me. Lord I ask that Your peace, which transcends all understanding, will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus so that I will be unable to misunderstand Your direction.

Lord I am asking for Your strength and Your blessing of peace because I belong to You and want to walk in the purpose You have created for me.

Lord, I will listen to what You say; for You promise peace to Your people, Your faithful servants. Lord I trust that You will show me the way You want me to go. For You have promised great peace to those who love your law, and nothing can make me stumble. You have promised that You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The next morning, the Lord took me to a couple of passages by way of a quote from Charles Spurgeon: “Lose all rather than lose your integrity, and when all else is gone, still hold fast a clear conscience as the rarest jewel which can adorn the bosom of a mortal. Be not guided by the will-o-the-wisp of policy, but by the pole star of divine authority. Follow the right at all hazards. When you see no present advantage, walk by faith and not by sight. Do God the honour to trust Him when it comes to matters of loss for the sake of principle. See whether He will be your debtor! See if He doth not even in this life prove His word that ‘Godliness, with contentment, is great gain,’ and that they who ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, shall have all these things added unto them.'”

As I read 1 Timothy 6, I noticed that we are to remove ourselves from those “who suppose that godliness is a means of gain” (v 5) because that is devoid of the truth. That includes me and what I might believe I need. Instead, I am to cast “down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5).

The truth is that God knows my needs and how He wants to provide for me IF I seek Him and His will first. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness [His face], and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matt 6:33) There is a huge difference in seeking God’s face (His will), and His hand (asking for His provision). The latter only asks for things that we want; while the former seeks what He wants us to do, and in faith asking Him to provide what He wants us to have, trusting that His way is best.

I was brought back to Spurgeon’s words: Do God the honour to trust Him when it comes to matters of [perceived] loss for the sake of principle. See whether He will be your debtor! See if He doth not even in this life prove His word that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim 6:6). Godliness is a God-centered life. It grows, not through the pursuit of a process, but through the presence of a person. Jesus Christ is the mystery of godliness (1 Tim 3:16).

His presence in our life is our hope of becoming the person God calls us to be. “Christ in you [is] the hope of glory” (Col 1:27). Contentment is finding joy in what God has given to us. The opposite of contentment is greed which destroys our capacity to enjoy what God has given. “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Tim 6:9-10)

I thank the Lord for what He has created for me to do for His glory. He hasn’t revealed it all yet, but He has revealed His perfect peace. He has confirmed that writing this blog is one of the callings He has on my life.

I know what He has planned for me is better than I can imagine, and will be used to further His kingdom and my peace and faith in Him. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” (Jer 29:11-12) Thank You, Lord, for Your peace that surpasses all my understanding! Thank You for showing me that You will give me peace in my upcoming decision if it’s in Your will!