How was this lack of anxiety obtained? Again the answer is the conscious presence of

the Lord. "Let your yieldingness be known to all men. The Lord is near". When we

read on, after the apostle's statement concerning his contentment, we find his confession

once again of the Living Christ, "I have strength for all things in Him that empowereth

As we look at this servant of God we can well understand that he needed to have no

anxiety, no doubts, no trust or foreboding in circumstances. The Lord was near him; the

peace of God garrisoning the citadel of heart and mind; the God of peace with him; and

strength given for all things. Hunger and thirst, fullness and plenty had alike contributed

to his initiation. We are sometimes apt to limit discipline to the hunger and privation side

of things. Paul speaks not only of being humbled, but of abounding, not only of suffering

need, but of being full. He had learned the wilderness lesson of the manna, "He that

gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack". "In everything

and in all things", he had been initiated. Contentment was only to be found in God, even

though he had abounding wealth; contentment was only possible in God, when all things

had gone. Paul and Asaph could both say, "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there

is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee", and Paul and Asaph learned their lesson in

the same place, "the sanctuary of God."

May we ask and receive this holy independence, holding on our way "in honour and

dishonour, in evil report and good report", being rendered perfectly regardless of the

opinions of others, of the character of circumstances, finding all our satisfaction in the

God of peace, and learning the secret of true contentment in His presence.

As a supplement to Phil. 4: 11, we might look at one or two other passages. In

I Tim. 6: 6, the apostle writes, "godliness with contentment is great gain"; this is in

contrast with the wranglings and questions of men of corrupt minds who supposed that

"godliness was a means of gain". From a worldly standpoint, godliness is more likely to

lead to loss than gain. It is the exception and not the rule in the New Testament

Scriptures to find increase of wealth accompanying increase of godliness. Yet after all

these men of corrupt minds uttered truth, even though they meant very differently from

the apostle; godliness is indeed a great gain. The apostle, however, qualifies his words;

godliness with contentment. We have already learned his meaning of contentment by

studying Phil. 4: 11; it indicates a complete independence of circumstances both

favourable and adverse. We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out,

"But having food and raiment let us therewith be content", here is true gain, true riches.

The apostle turns again to the question of riches. "Those who will to be rich". What a

temptation and a snare, what a source of discontent, as a perusal of Ecclesiastes will

show; the love of money is a root of all evil, and pierces through with many sorrows