When the Holy Spirit spoke this into my heart, I rehearsed what I knew about virtue from Scripture. 2 Peter 1:5 says to add it to our faith. In Philippians 4:8 Paul encouraged his readers to add it to their meditations.

Strong’s definition is: intrinsic value, moral excellency, and goodness. The virtue of contentment is void of self-importance and a me-first attitude. It is yielding our rights. It is the foundation of rest through acceptance of our circumstances, and a deep inner trust that God is indeed in control of all things. 

Paul said that he had to learn contentment. Philippians 4:11. The Lord used Paul’s trials as His tools of instruction. Verse 12. He had times where he abounded, was abased, full, hungry, and suffered need. In each of those his confidence was verse 13. It says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Do you walk in the virtue of contentment?

Paul found his joy in the Lord, and from his fellowship with other believers. Listen to his words in Philippians 4:1. It says, “Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.”

In verse 4 he encouraged them to “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Verse 6 helps us see a trap that we can easily fall into. It says, “Be anxious for nothing…” What is the antidote? The verse goes on, “…but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

How often do we include thanksgiving when we are asking the Lord to help us in a situation that is making us feel anxious? Entertaining anxious thoughts, blocks His two irrevocable gifts of joy and peace. 

Verse 7 says that when we include thanksgiving with our petitions, “…the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard our hearts and minds…”

After memorizing Philippians 1, I began to work on chapter 4. Keeping in mind that Paul wrote that letter from prison helped me process the phrases I was repeating over and over. The Presence of the Lord in his situation gave life to his words.

Are you content in your present trial? Our trials have built in lessons. Romans 5:3 Amplified says, “Moreover (let us also be full of joy now!) let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.”

In Philippians 4:11 Paul wrote, “…I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” 1 Timothy 6:6 says, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” The Greek word in both verses means satisfied. Does your relationship with the Lord satisfy you? Psalm 107:9 says, “For He satisfies the longing soul…”

Paul prayed for the folks in the church in Colosse. Colossians 1:10 says, “That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully  pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

2 Peter 1:3 says, “As His divine power has given  to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” We live victoriously through His resurrection power within us. 

Ephesians 1:19 described that power. It says, “And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.” At salvation His resurrection power became ours.

Romans 6 declares that we can live free of sin’s temptation. We are dead to sin, but alive to God. Verse 12 tells us how to live. It says, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.”

James 3:13 Amplified chimes in, “Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his (good) works with the unobtrusive) humility (which is the proper attribute) of true wisdom.” 

Noble living is living in God’s wisdom. It is seeing life through God’s perspective instead of our own. How we perceive things is rooted in our belief system created from our life’s experiences. Our beliefs come from our experiences. Our experiences influence our intentions. Our intentions precede our thoughts. Our thoughts become actions that are displayed through attitudes. 

1 Chronicles 28:9 Amplified were David’s words to his son Solomon. It says, “…For the Lord searches all hearts and minds and understands all the wanderings of the thoughts…” Hebrews 4:12 Amplified says that God’s word penetrates to the deepest parts of our nature. “…exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very  thoughts and purposes of the heart.”

Noble living is walking with heart purity through intention, thought, and actions. As I continued to memorize Philippians 1, the first part of verse 27 gave me a lot to think about. It says, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ…” Ephesians 4:1 says, “I, therefore, a prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.”

How were we called? 2 Timothy 1:9 says, “Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”

1 Peter 1:15 says, “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.” 

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

The Lord loves to reveal Himself to us in ways we have not experienced Him before. His Presence is like a prism of color that envelops our whole being. We are stilled under the weight of His glory.

Psalm 34:5 says, “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Here is a part of a new song ~ Song of Purity

As I look into Your eyes of purity I see holiness. All my defilements melt away like wax before fire and I am cleansed. Your eyes are pooled with love for me.

As I behold You all shame is removed. You are the lifter of my head my shield and my defense. I hide in You and enter into the sweetness of intimate communion.

John 14:21 says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Has and keeps God’s word passes the test of love. In the Greek here, has means to hold and possess. Keeps means to guard. Let’s go back to the children of Israel. God had given them land to live on. 

Joshua 18:3 were Joshua’s words to them, but we can make personal applications. It says, “…How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?”

Our heart is a reservoir for our spiritual possessions. Psalm 119:11 instructs us to hide His word in our hearts. Why? So we don’t sin against Him. Hidden sin blocks intimate communion with the Lord. 

Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in your heart, the Lord will not hear.” 

Matthew 11:29 is a familiar verse, but I invite you to look at it through the eyes of an invitation for intimate communion. It says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

I love the definition for rest in Hebrews 4:10. It says, “For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” After God created for six days He rested. Genesis 2:1.

I am typing Song of Solomon 2:14 as I say it to the Lord. “O my Dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff, let me see Your face, let me hear Your voice; for Your voice is sweet, and Your face is lovely.”

Are you struggling in your trial? Take time to be in His Presence. Rest and drink in His love for you.

John 15:1-8 is for everyone ~ no exception. I love verse 4 in the Amplified. It says, “Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. (Live in  Me, and I will  live in you). Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.”

The simple definition for intimate communion is being instead of doing. It is delighting in the Lord, enjoying His Presence, and being still. Here is part of a new song. “I lift my unveiled face to gaze into Your face. Face to face I behold You as You behold me. No veil separates us. No fear of being known. We have intimate communion. Our hearts are knit as one.”

Communion without words. Here is a sentence from a new song. “I set my eyes on You and I gaze into Your face. I bask in the love of Your eyes full of grace.”