Birds have mastered the art of contentment. Why can’t we?

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“You make water gush from springs into valleys.
It flows between the mountains.
Every wild animal drinks from them.
Wild donkeys quench their thirst.
The birds live by the streams.
They sing among the branches.”
Psalm 104:10-12 God’s Word to Nations

Avon, Colorado

This bird is content because it’s well fed. In fact, this bird probably doesn’t have to work as hard as other birds for food. It stood on this rock then moved to the grass looking for scraps of food left by vacationers.

Contentment seems lacking in our culture. We desire a god who will serve us; who will give us what we fancy. We thirst for the great unknown that we believe will satisfy our souls instead of being content with living by the streams of God’s abundance.

Our discontentedness is reflected in the people whom Jesus fed with five loaves of bread and two fish. They had spent the entire day filling their souls with Jesus’ teaching, but once Jesus had miraculously fed them in the evening they became more concerned about their bellies than their souls. They wanted to make Jesus their bread king.

We’re not much different. We want a god who will give us a new home with a three car garage on a cul-de-sac. We want two children, a boy and a girl, who will never disobey us and always make us look like amazing parents.

Like the bird in this picture, God invites us to enjoy his abundance and find contentment in him. Yes, he is our Bread King, but he’s much more. He reigns over sin. He reigns over everything that damages our souls. He reigns over death.

Contentment is found in the One who makes “water gush form springs.”

Copyright Douglas P Brauner