Cabin Devotion with Miss Natalie

Reminding Ourselves that Christ is Enough

Prayer: “Dear God, help me learn more about you during this time. Allow me to quiet my thoughts so that I may hear You and the truth You have to share. Shape my heart and help me grow into the woman that you desire me to be. Amen.”

Scripture References: Psalm 16, John 6:35, and Philippians 3:8

Read the passages twice. During the first time, simply read the passage (feel free to read it aloud if you are able!) During the second reading, jot down verses or words that stick out to you (either write out the verse, underline in your bible or include the reference.)

Devotional:

Hi Tapawingo sisters, Miss Natalie here! I am so thankful to be opening God’s Word with you. It is cool to think about how we are all in different places physically but how we unite when we read the unchanging truths of the Bible together. How glorious!

In this devotional we will dive deeper into the truth that Psalm 16, John 6:35 and Philippians 3:8 focuses on– that Christ is the source of every good thing and that if we have Christ, we lack nothing, He is enough. Because of this truth, we must not go about life harboring dissatisfaction but rather choose to have eyes of abundance that acknowledge the goodness of God. Though in this life we will experience brokenness and sadness (I am sure many of you experienced dissatisfaction with the cancellation of camp or other exciting summer plans,) ultimately, we must commit to the truth that God is enough and that satisfaction can be found in Him alone!

Psalm 16:2 reads, “I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” When I read this verse, I pray to have the same perspective as this psalmist. Often, it is easy to be jealous of others and the “good things,” that they seem to have and we seem to lack. This jealousy results in comparison and a dissatisfaction with what God has given us. Here, the psalmist shares the truth that if he has God, he has every good thing! We must acknowledge that ultimately, our relationship with God is the BEST thing one could have in this world. Because of this, we do not need to be envious of others or be in constant desire of more things. Rather, we must realize that we have the highest good one could obtain, a relationship with the Creator of the universe who loves us fully!

In John 6:35 Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me, will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never go thirsty.” These words come from the mouth of Jesus as he describes himself to Jews. When Jesus equates Himself with bread, He tells the Jews that He is essential to life. When Jesus says that those who are in relationship with Him will not hunger or thirst, He declares that He will care for our souls and that in Him, our souls will be satisfied. Jesus uses this metaphor to express how we cannot survive spiritually without Him and that when in relationship with Him, our souls are taken care of. Again, we learn that He is what we truly need in this life and that a relationship with Him will satisfy the desires of our souls in a way that earthly things can not.

Philippians 3:8 acts as an example of what it looks like to confidently know that Christ is enough. Paul writes, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” Not only does Paul demonstrate a posture of contentment in Christ but He states that Christ is so satisfying that in comparison, he sees everything else as garbage! This is another perspective that I pray that God would give me each day. Do I see everything else, even really amazing things (like family/friendship or your favorite places in the world) as LOSS in comparison to my relationship with Jesus? Paul demonstrates how full our lives can be when we place our relationship with Christ at the center of our lives. When we place Him as the ultimate good in our world, we will realize that nothing compares to knowing Him. This does not mean that we do not appreciate other things but rather we see them as blessings and look back to our good God who provided those good things!

You may be wondering, how should this change my life, today? When life is hard, ordinary, or disappointing, what does it mean to live with eyes of abundance and a heart that is satisfied in Christ? First, know that it is okay to be honest with yourself and with God about these feelings. God welcomes us to lay down our burdens and welcomes us into an intimate and honest relationship with Him. Go to Him in prayer and say something along the lines of, “I know you are good, God, but I am finding it hard to truly experience satisfaction in You when life seems to be going wrong in so many ways. Please give me strength to see your goodness even amidst the brokenness I see. Help me see your light and please work in my heart so that I may treasure You above all else.” This is a bold and honest invitation for God to shift your perspective and it may not be instantaneous but God will begin to transform your heart! If you commit yourself to seeing His goodness God will open your eyes to things that you previously overlooked or did not see Him in. Disappointments will likely not seem as intense or life-altering when you begin to place God as the highest good in life and see other things as secondary! This all takes a lot of changes in perspective and thus, prayer is necessary because only God can shift our hearts!

Other steps:

● In addition to prayer, seek to surround yourself with people that profess the goodness of God and who know that Jesus is ultimately, all we need!

● Read the book of Philippians, it is four chapters (great to split up between a few days!) Consider what we can learn from Paul.

● Make it a habit to write down things that you are thankful for and see God’s abundance in (can be done weekly or daily!)

● Be consistent in prayer for a heart that finds satisfaction in Christ above all else.

● Listen to the song “Here’s My Heart” by Lauren Daigle

○ Relevant lyrics: “You are more than enough, You are here, You are love, You are hope, You are grace, You're all I have, You're everything”

Love,

Miss Natalie