I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

Acts 21:1-17 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Now when we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran a straight course to Cos, and on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara; ² and having found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. ³ When we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed at Tyre; for the ship was to unload its cargo there. ⁴ After looking up the disciples, we stayed there for seven days; and they kept telling Paul, through the Spirit, not to set foot in Jerusalem. ⁵ When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we were out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another. ⁶ Then we boarded the ship, and they returned home.

⁷ When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting the brothers and sisters, we stayed with them for a day. ⁸ On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. ⁹ Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses. ¹⁰ As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ And he came to us and took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’” ¹² When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴ And since he would not be persuaded, we became quiet, remarking, “The will of the Lord be done!”

¹⁵ After these days we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to stay.

¹⁷ After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us gladly.

In John 10:10 Jesus says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.” There are many people today who focus on the abundant life that we have in Christ, but possibly misunderstand what that abundance might be. The abundance Jesus promises in the original Greek means: beyond measure, extraordinary  2) greatly, exceedingly.  But, it is life that we have beyond measure, not things. We have both an extraordinary life here and now, and also eternal life, beyond the measurement of finite time.   In Philippians 4:11-13 Paul shares a secret of living the abundant life in Christ saying: I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 

In today’s text it says: Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”  And since he would not be persuaded, we became quiet, remarking, “The will of the Lord be done!” Paul was content with what he had, because he had truly done what Jesus says is necessary and denied himself to follow Jesus. In Philippians 3:8-10 Paul says: I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. The truth is, we owe our lives to Christ, who purchased them on the cross. There is nothing we could give that would repay the price He paid and there is nothing more we can gain than what He has already given us. Romans 8:15-17 says: You have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.  We are heirs of the kingdom of God, with all the benefits of sons and daughters of the King. In Mark 10:29-30 Jesus says: “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.” The abundant life that we have in Christ does not keep us from having difficult times. Rather the abundance of Christ keeps us in difficult times. We have all that we could ever want, because He is all that we need.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit, thank You for the extraordinary life beyond measure that You have given me. Like Paul may I learn to be content in whatever situation I am in, knowing that in You I have everything I need. May I daily deny myself so that I can receive the hundred fold blessings that You have for me. As the psalmist says, I delight myself in You, trusting that You will give me the desires of my heart. Like Paul, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him. Amen.