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On-the-Go Devotionals
Contentment: A Godly Woman's Adornment
This On-the-Go Devotional assures women that contentment is not some fleeting ideal but a reality that God enables them to live out daily. Any woman who buys into the lie of "You can have it all" or who thinks she can only be happy "if…" experiences an abiding what she wants remains just out of reach, always. No matter how good she has it, no matter how good the good times may get, there's always something missing. And ultimately, she misses out on happiness too. But God desires something far better and more lasting for his daughters. And he's delivered the secret in his Word, assuring women that real satisfaction is found in living for and longing for the right things. Those truths and promises are at the heart of this On-the-Go Devotional for women. Each lesson in Contentment is conveniently self-contained and comes complete with Scripture and a paragraph or two of teaching to direct women away from fleeting distractions and toward a true, enduring satisfaction. "Skillful devotionals for those who face the challenge to 'fit it all in.' Biblically rigorous and deeply perceptive. Godly insights from a godly sister."
Elyse Fitzpatrick , author of Because He Loves How Christ Transforms Our Daily Life "A ready resource for keeping our thinking focused on God himself. The devotionals helped me understand my fear or discontent and our Heavenly Father's provision."
Barbara Hughes , author of Disciplines of a Godly Woman and, with her husband, Disciplines of a Godly Family "Lydia Brownback calls Christian women to lift their eyes upward and find security, rest, and peace in a sovereign God whose promises never fail!"
Nancy Leigh DeMoss , author and Revive Our Hearts radio host
Elyse Fitzpatrick , author of Because He Loves How Christ Transforms Our Daily Life "A ready resource for keeping our thinking focused on God himself. The devotionals helped me understand my fear or discontent and our Heavenly Father's provision."
Barbara Hughes , author of Disciplines of a Godly Woman and, with her husband, Disciplines of a Godly Family "Lydia Brownback calls Christian women to lift their eyes upward and find security, rest, and peace in a sovereign God whose promises never fail!"
Nancy Leigh DeMoss , author and Revive Our Hearts radio host
112 pages, Paperback
First published March 17, 2008
41 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
Lydia Brownback
51 books128 followersLydia Brownback (MAR, Westminster Theological Seminary) serves as a senior editor at Crossway in Wheaton, Illinois, and an author and speaker at women’s conferences around the world. Lydia previously served as writer in residence for Alistair Begg and as producer of the Bible Study Hour radio program with James Montgomery Boice.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
March 15, 2018
"The primary reason God withholds certain blessings is so He can fill those empty places with Himself."
"Our unhappiness does not spring from what we lack. It springs from our desire for what we lack."
"All God does in our lives and everywhere He leads us has one overarching purpose, which is to deepen our relationship with Him and to further His glory through us."
"No matter what we are dealing with, God is there overseeing, loving, providing."
"Christ is the secret of contentment."
"Our unhappiness does not spring from what we lack. It springs from our desire for what we lack."
"All God does in our lives and everywhere He leads us has one overarching purpose, which is to deepen our relationship with Him and to further His glory through us."
"No matter what we are dealing with, God is there overseeing, loving, providing."
"Christ is the secret of contentment."
June 25, 2025
“The great ‘gain’ Paul is talking about here is the freeing realization that life does not consist of what we can get out of it. We came in with nothing, we will leave with nothing, and anything we get in between is fleeting and temporary. If we would just view our lives from this perspective, our capacity for joy would enlarge”
Read
October 27, 2024Don't judge me lol. Wifey wanted to read it together. It was encouraging for us
June 11, 2020
Though it is small in size, this devotional is really worth reading!
I thoroughly enjoyed this devotional and all the wisdom it had to offer.
I thoroughly enjoyed this devotional and all the wisdom it had to offer.
July 27, 2011
At first I saw the title and thought, ew another cheesy quicky devo for christian "chicks" but this series is totally amazing. really addresses the complexity of life and struggles and worries. totally solid and always challenging me to rely on God and revealing all the lies i've built into my thought processes.
April 21, 2014
Excellent book! Now I'm giving them as gifts.
This little purse-size book packs lots of wisdom - so easy to read and powerful. I'll be re-reading it multiple times I'm sure.
This little purse-size book packs lots of wisdom - so easy to read and powerful. I'll be re-reading it multiple times I'm sure.
November 30, 2022
I chose this book for my Thanksgiving contemplations this year, and I'm quite sure that I read it too quickly, when there's so much to mull over.
I had wondered if I should just stay away from devotionals altogether, because almost all the ones I've read recently wandered so far afield from the scripture they were pondering, taking it out of context, or throwing in ideas so far from the original intent. Fortunately, I didn't find that to be so here, and I'm glad I did pick this one up. One other reviewer also said she'd never read "a devotional with substance" before and this one qualified.
I agree it's one of the rare ones, with a couple caveats. The big one from other reviewers was that she tends to confuse happiness with contentment, which are different Biblically. Yes, I understand that, but for me they are related. Contentment is more a flavor of happiness, or perhaps a lower intensity-level of happiness.
I was expecting a book gratefully contemplating the blessings of life, which does tend to make me feel contentment, but this book felt more challenging than that. Maybe even painfully challenging, like Andrew Murray's "Humility." But I would certainly read it again to ponder these things more slowly. (5 stars)
It's not bad to feel conviction on a point, and even to feel discontented with our attitudes & responses. That holy discontent can be where positive change begins, what we call repentance.
Lydia Brownback doesn't talk about that sort of discontentment, though. She talked instead about obstacles to contentment and Biblical instances of them. It surprised me how many passages about discontentment she found. Many were narratives; a few were in Paul's epistles.
I also didn't expect this book to be about temptation, but it was discussed how temptation begins with being discontented with where we are in life.
From the devotion on the Israelites craving the food from their slavery in Egypt (Numbers 11):
"But when we focus almost exclusively on our desires and unmet needs, what is good becomes bad. It becomes obsessive. It becomes a craving, and we aren't content to live without the thing we want or need."
"Our misery comes from wanting that thing so much that we are not open to recognizing or receiving any alternative."
"Obsessing on an unmet desire also takes away our joy and delight in all that God has provided for us today."
"And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul." - Psalm 106:15
"Desire without restraint is a dangerous thing. It is obsession."
"Belief that God has our good in mind now, not just on the other side of the desert, is what we need, and it is the way to live contentedly in a difficult situation when we can see no end in sight. Contentment comes by believing that we have everything we need for today."
On Psalm 32, Brownback said, "All of our sins are really much worse than we think. There are no little sins in God's eyes, and to think otherwise is to abuse his grace."
"We are so quick to discount the impact of unrepentant sin on our moods and circumstances, largely because we don't want our secret sins to be the underlying cause."
"Of we are attempting to make peace with sin, no matter how trivial, we can count on the fact that sooner or later God is going to deal with it."
Likewise, from the discussion on Jonah's plant in Jonah 4, Brownback said, "He knows that the things to which we cling for comfort are actually robbing us of blessing."
"... Israel, who are all estranged from me through their idols." - Ezekiel 14:5. I found that word "estranged" interesting there. Of course, it is true, but sometimes we don't see such things as estranging us from God.
On this, Brownback wrote, "We become prisoners to the very thing that initially provided our escape."
"Aren't such things gifts? Of course they are, but not when we use them to obliterate tension or boredom, or depression. When we turn life's little pleasures into remedies for life's troubles, we are setting up idols in our hearts, which actually push God aside."
"But actually it is possible to desire God so much that everything else pales in comparison."
"We can steel ourselves against it [crisis] and fight our way out, or we can open up and let God into it. Each and every time something threatens to steal our peace, we can stop what we are doing, and open that raw, painful place to God... As often as possible, we do well to sit with his Word open before us, asking him to reveal himself through our struggle."
I have to disagree a little bit with the line, "Before we know it, we will find ourselves wanting him even more than we want our problems solved." Ours, but what about others' problems? In particular, what about others going to Hell? That intensifies our requests and our actions on their behalf, and perhaps beyond any personal, emotional fulfillment we seek, even in Jesus.
"The curtain to eternity is ... torn back in the midst of tragedy to reveal our Savior."
I also had not thought of gazing into the past as being a drain for contentment - comparing our current lives with a better or easier time we had before.
"Say not, 'Why were the former days better than these?' For it is not from wisdom that you ask this." Ecclesiastes 7:10
"Contentment is where God is, and God is with us today."
"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" - Hebrews 13:5
In the discussion on Hebrews 11, where Abram left his home, Brownback discussed some missionaries, and one said, "this life isn't about going home." That is, to our earthly home. He was intent on serving, not on taking another, easier position closer to his home.
"Home for us is wherever God has us."
On the topic of Rachel demanding children from her husband, Jacob (Genesis 30), Brownback said, "God never satisfied Rachel, which is precisely why nothing else satisfied her either."
"We can live for something other than what we have or want; we can live for God. When we pour our desires away from ourselves and into God and His purposes instead, we find a deep satisfaction that nothing else can give us."
Brownback had an interesting thought on sympathy & encouragement, and one that I've wrestled with before in Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest." I still feel like sympathy for someone shows the compassion of Christ, but I feel like they have a valid point, too.
Brownback said, "Sympathy is not going to lead Heather to a place of contentment, nor will words of encouragement if they offer no more than hollow promises that things will get better." Sometimes I do feel like encouragement can be hollow for just that reason. They have no idea if things will get better or not.
"IF she would just nourish a desire for God that becomes greater than her desires for His blessings, she would realize total fulfillment."
"If I crave happiness, I will receive misery. If I crave to be loved, I will receive rejection. If I crave significance, I will receive futility. If I crave control, I will receive chaos. If I crave reputation, I will receive humiliation. But if I long for God and His wisdom, I will receive God and His wisdom. Along the way, sooner or later, I will also receive happiness, love, meaning, order, and glory."- David Powlison in "Dynamics of Biblical Change."
I can't imagine one of those secular books I read on happiness stating that, even if it is often true. They all said to try this or that method, etc.
"Nowhere in the Bible does God condemn people for longing to be happy. People are condemned for forsaking God and seeking their happiness elsewhere. (Jeremiah 2:13)" - John Piper in "Christian Hedonism"
"Those that look to be happy must first look to be holy." - Richard Sibbs, in Elyse Fitzpatrick's "Idols of the Heart"
About Paul's thorn, (2 Corinthians 12), Brownback said, "Thorns break us of our self-sufficiency." Amen, they do.
"Paul found Christ's strength working in him to be so powerful, so joy-producing, that he came to see his troubles -and they were many - as friends."
"Each difficulty that comes our way, all that weakens us, is a fresh chance to cling to Christ and discover his power, his strength, and all that he is for us in the provision of himself."
I disagreed slightly on the discussion of Hannah's abrupt change from misery to happiness in 1 Samuel 1. Brownback said that she had no guarantee God would give her what she prayed for - a child. And that is true, but I suspect she took Eli at his word that God would (v. 17) It could've been taken as mere well-wishing, but he was a priest, and sometimes they uttered prophecies, and I think Hannah thought this was one.
"We are actually lonely and discontent because we are refusing to invest. We aren't giving ourselves fully to God and to the relationships we have today." Well, yes, and no. I would say mostly, yes, that's true. But also, there is a difference between ministry - serving others - and friendship, which is reciprocal. We actually need to be involved in both. I agree with what another reviewer said (who happens to be a missionary), that this world is broken and we don't always receive friendship in it, among other things.
Sometimes friendship can develop out of ministry, but oftentimes, the people we minister to are too broken or too self-centered or too busy to care about us in return. That's Ok in any given situation, as long as we realize that our efforts are ministry and not friendship in those places, and don't expect reciprocation. But we will need friendship in other situations. I also suspect that today's society haven't really learned how to be good friends.
"Choices in which the most loving and biblical path will require a measure of discomfort on our part...How do we go forward ... without a constant undercurrent of dread or irritation? We do so by getting to the root of what is causing our distasteful feelings about our circumstances and then bringing God's Word to bear on the root."
On hope (Psalm 27), Brownback said, "Our hopes will be realized if deeper intimacy with our heavenly Father is what we seek. Our hopes will not disappoint if we long to be free from our enslaving sins."
On the topic of our pain (Colossians 1:25), Brownback said, "People are watching how you handle your pain."
"God is making us into instruments of wisdom and encouragement."
On Philippians 4:12-13, Brownback said, "The reason we can live contentedly with unmet desires is because Christ will enable us to do so. He supplies from himself whatever we lack in the here and now. Something that Paul does do is to make clear that contentment is something we learn."
On Martha's discontent (Luke 10), Brownback asks, "If we are burned out in our service for Christ, could it be that we have stopped sitting at Jesus' feet?"
"Doing something for someone can be a slick way to bypass real intimacy." I would attest to the truth of that, if we are too busy doing something to talk.
I had wondered if I should just stay away from devotionals altogether, because almost all the ones I've read recently wandered so far afield from the scripture they were pondering, taking it out of context, or throwing in ideas so far from the original intent. Fortunately, I didn't find that to be so here, and I'm glad I did pick this one up. One other reviewer also said she'd never read "a devotional with substance" before and this one qualified.
I agree it's one of the rare ones, with a couple caveats. The big one from other reviewers was that she tends to confuse happiness with contentment, which are different Biblically. Yes, I understand that, but for me they are related. Contentment is more a flavor of happiness, or perhaps a lower intensity-level of happiness.
I was expecting a book gratefully contemplating the blessings of life, which does tend to make me feel contentment, but this book felt more challenging than that. Maybe even painfully challenging, like Andrew Murray's "Humility." But I would certainly read it again to ponder these things more slowly. (5 stars)
It's not bad to feel conviction on a point, and even to feel discontented with our attitudes & responses. That holy discontent can be where positive change begins, what we call repentance.
Lydia Brownback doesn't talk about that sort of discontentment, though. She talked instead about obstacles to contentment and Biblical instances of them. It surprised me how many passages about discontentment she found. Many were narratives; a few were in Paul's epistles.
I also didn't expect this book to be about temptation, but it was discussed how temptation begins with being discontented with where we are in life.
From the devotion on the Israelites craving the food from their slavery in Egypt (Numbers 11):
"But when we focus almost exclusively on our desires and unmet needs, what is good becomes bad. It becomes obsessive. It becomes a craving, and we aren't content to live without the thing we want or need."
"Our misery comes from wanting that thing so much that we are not open to recognizing or receiving any alternative."
"Obsessing on an unmet desire also takes away our joy and delight in all that God has provided for us today."
"And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul." - Psalm 106:15
"Desire without restraint is a dangerous thing. It is obsession."
"Belief that God has our good in mind now, not just on the other side of the desert, is what we need, and it is the way to live contentedly in a difficult situation when we can see no end in sight. Contentment comes by believing that we have everything we need for today."
On Psalm 32, Brownback said, "All of our sins are really much worse than we think. There are no little sins in God's eyes, and to think otherwise is to abuse his grace."
"We are so quick to discount the impact of unrepentant sin on our moods and circumstances, largely because we don't want our secret sins to be the underlying cause."
"Of we are attempting to make peace with sin, no matter how trivial, we can count on the fact that sooner or later God is going to deal with it."
Likewise, from the discussion on Jonah's plant in Jonah 4, Brownback said, "He knows that the things to which we cling for comfort are actually robbing us of blessing."
"... Israel, who are all estranged from me through their idols." - Ezekiel 14:5. I found that word "estranged" interesting there. Of course, it is true, but sometimes we don't see such things as estranging us from God.
On this, Brownback wrote, "We become prisoners to the very thing that initially provided our escape."
"Aren't such things gifts? Of course they are, but not when we use them to obliterate tension or boredom, or depression. When we turn life's little pleasures into remedies for life's troubles, we are setting up idols in our hearts, which actually push God aside."
"But actually it is possible to desire God so much that everything else pales in comparison."
"We can steel ourselves against it [crisis] and fight our way out, or we can open up and let God into it. Each and every time something threatens to steal our peace, we can stop what we are doing, and open that raw, painful place to God... As often as possible, we do well to sit with his Word open before us, asking him to reveal himself through our struggle."
I have to disagree a little bit with the line, "Before we know it, we will find ourselves wanting him even more than we want our problems solved." Ours, but what about others' problems? In particular, what about others going to Hell? That intensifies our requests and our actions on their behalf, and perhaps beyond any personal, emotional fulfillment we seek, even in Jesus.
"The curtain to eternity is ... torn back in the midst of tragedy to reveal our Savior."
I also had not thought of gazing into the past as being a drain for contentment - comparing our current lives with a better or easier time we had before.
"Say not, 'Why were the former days better than these?' For it is not from wisdom that you ask this." Ecclesiastes 7:10
"Contentment is where God is, and God is with us today."
"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" - Hebrews 13:5
In the discussion on Hebrews 11, where Abram left his home, Brownback discussed some missionaries, and one said, "this life isn't about going home." That is, to our earthly home. He was intent on serving, not on taking another, easier position closer to his home.
"Home for us is wherever God has us."
On the topic of Rachel demanding children from her husband, Jacob (Genesis 30), Brownback said, "God never satisfied Rachel, which is precisely why nothing else satisfied her either."
"We can live for something other than what we have or want; we can live for God. When we pour our desires away from ourselves and into God and His purposes instead, we find a deep satisfaction that nothing else can give us."
Brownback had an interesting thought on sympathy & encouragement, and one that I've wrestled with before in Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest." I still feel like sympathy for someone shows the compassion of Christ, but I feel like they have a valid point, too.
Brownback said, "Sympathy is not going to lead Heather to a place of contentment, nor will words of encouragement if they offer no more than hollow promises that things will get better." Sometimes I do feel like encouragement can be hollow for just that reason. They have no idea if things will get better or not.
"IF she would just nourish a desire for God that becomes greater than her desires for His blessings, she would realize total fulfillment."
"If I crave happiness, I will receive misery. If I crave to be loved, I will receive rejection. If I crave significance, I will receive futility. If I crave control, I will receive chaos. If I crave reputation, I will receive humiliation. But if I long for God and His wisdom, I will receive God and His wisdom. Along the way, sooner or later, I will also receive happiness, love, meaning, order, and glory."- David Powlison in "Dynamics of Biblical Change."
I can't imagine one of those secular books I read on happiness stating that, even if it is often true. They all said to try this or that method, etc.
"Nowhere in the Bible does God condemn people for longing to be happy. People are condemned for forsaking God and seeking their happiness elsewhere. (Jeremiah 2:13)" - John Piper in "Christian Hedonism"
"Those that look to be happy must first look to be holy." - Richard Sibbs, in Elyse Fitzpatrick's "Idols of the Heart"
About Paul's thorn, (2 Corinthians 12), Brownback said, "Thorns break us of our self-sufficiency." Amen, they do.
"Paul found Christ's strength working in him to be so powerful, so joy-producing, that he came to see his troubles -and they were many - as friends."
"Each difficulty that comes our way, all that weakens us, is a fresh chance to cling to Christ and discover his power, his strength, and all that he is for us in the provision of himself."
I disagreed slightly on the discussion of Hannah's abrupt change from misery to happiness in 1 Samuel 1. Brownback said that she had no guarantee God would give her what she prayed for - a child. And that is true, but I suspect she took Eli at his word that God would (v. 17) It could've been taken as mere well-wishing, but he was a priest, and sometimes they uttered prophecies, and I think Hannah thought this was one.
"We are actually lonely and discontent because we are refusing to invest. We aren't giving ourselves fully to God and to the relationships we have today." Well, yes, and no. I would say mostly, yes, that's true. But also, there is a difference between ministry - serving others - and friendship, which is reciprocal. We actually need to be involved in both. I agree with what another reviewer said (who happens to be a missionary), that this world is broken and we don't always receive friendship in it, among other things.
Sometimes friendship can develop out of ministry, but oftentimes, the people we minister to are too broken or too self-centered or too busy to care about us in return. That's Ok in any given situation, as long as we realize that our efforts are ministry and not friendship in those places, and don't expect reciprocation. But we will need friendship in other situations. I also suspect that today's society haven't really learned how to be good friends.
"Choices in which the most loving and biblical path will require a measure of discomfort on our part...How do we go forward ... without a constant undercurrent of dread or irritation? We do so by getting to the root of what is causing our distasteful feelings about our circumstances and then bringing God's Word to bear on the root."
On hope (Psalm 27), Brownback said, "Our hopes will be realized if deeper intimacy with our heavenly Father is what we seek. Our hopes will not disappoint if we long to be free from our enslaving sins."
On the topic of our pain (Colossians 1:25), Brownback said, "People are watching how you handle your pain."
"God is making us into instruments of wisdom and encouragement."
On Philippians 4:12-13, Brownback said, "The reason we can live contentedly with unmet desires is because Christ will enable us to do so. He supplies from himself whatever we lack in the here and now. Something that Paul does do is to make clear that contentment is something we learn."
On Martha's discontent (Luke 10), Brownback asks, "If we are burned out in our service for Christ, could it be that we have stopped sitting at Jesus' feet?"
"Doing something for someone can be a slick way to bypass real intimacy." I would attest to the truth of that, if we are too busy doing something to talk.
January 20, 2022
I gave this to a friend. She said, "It's kind of light." But when I started reading, there was something in every single devotional that stopped me in my tracks. It is completely accessible, completely reasonable, completely truthful. Brownback speaks right to us where we live each day, understanding the struggles of our hearts.
Her closing thought: "The real source of all our unhappiness is due to the fact that we are running elsewhere. If we would just run in the right direction—toward Christ and his ways, toward the kingdom of God—we would find the happiness we are so desperately seeking, because that is the only place where it is to be found."
This reminds me of the old VH1 "Behind the Music" shows, where various rock stars went through drugs-alcohol-sex-exotic cars-etc in a passionate attempt to find some meaning in their lives. It's only in God. Everything else is shadows at best.
Her closing thought: "The real source of all our unhappiness is due to the fact that we are running elsewhere. If we would just run in the right direction—toward Christ and his ways, toward the kingdom of God—we would find the happiness we are so desperately seeking, because that is the only place where it is to be found."
This reminds me of the old VH1 "Behind the Music" shows, where various rock stars went through drugs-alcohol-sex-exotic cars-etc in a passionate attempt to find some meaning in their lives. It's only in God. Everything else is shadows at best.
November 26, 2019
1. I hate devotionals. It’s just the truth.
2. I hate when a verse is referenced but not exegeted. Which is probably why I didn’t like this book.
I only got it when I was learning and studying about contentment. I found Jeremiah bouroughs of far greater help to my understanding.
I know this woman probably spent a great deal of time putting this together, and I mean no offense.
There were some thing that I also paused and thought “I don’t know about that.”
So, I sadly have to give it a 1 star.
2. I hate when a verse is referenced but not exegeted. Which is probably why I didn’t like this book.
I only got it when I was learning and studying about contentment. I found Jeremiah bouroughs of far greater help to my understanding.
I know this woman probably spent a great deal of time putting this together, and I mean no offense.
There were some thing that I also paused and thought “I don’t know about that.”
So, I sadly have to give it a 1 star.
March 6, 2021
Lydia Brownback feeds the soul with the contentment that is found only in our Heavenly Father. I enjoy these books for a daily devotion for myself. I hope she ends up doing more of these.
June 26, 2013
The short chapters and the simple style of this book make it easy and enjoyable to read. As I flipped through the book I see a number of things that are underlined which means there were a number of things that were helpful to me. In general, the teaching of the book is sound. However, there are a few things that trouble me.
In the introduction and in the last chapter of the book she says that contentment and happiness are one and the same if we interpret them Biblically. She doesn’t give a basis for this claim and I cannot find one in Scripture. This may not seem like such a big deal, but when the whole book is about contentment, it is important to define it accurately and I cannot account for why she makes such a claim. The word happiness isn’t used in the KJV, but the word happy is used a couple of times and Vine’ s translates it as “blessed, happy.” It’s from a word meaning large. It is most often translated blessed as in the Beatitudes. The word contentment is defined by Vine’s as “satisfaction with what one has” and is once translated contentment (1 Timothy 6:6) and once translated sufficiency (2 Corinthians 9:8). I don’t see how the words can be said to have the same meaning or that they are used interchangeably in the Bible. Happiness is a much stronger emotion involving great blessing, contentment involves recognizing that one has enough. Food and clothing are cause for contentment (I Tim. 6); inheriting the earth and seeing God are cause for happiness (Mt. 5).
Her main point is that neither happiness nor contentment can be found in things, but must be found in Christ and that is very true. But if we lose the meaning of words, we lose the foundation for everything in the Bible. If people can give whatever meanings they want to words, the Bible will end up meaning everything, or, more accurately, nothing. I’m not so much concerned about her treatment of contentment as I am her treatment of the word of God.
She does something even worse with Scripture in the chapter titled Satisfaction Guaranteed where she says that when Jesus says "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness", he really meant we should hunger and thirst for himself, for Christ. The problem with this is that if he had meant that, he could very easily have said that but he didn’t. It seems reasonable to assume that he said what he meant. Strong’s says that the word used here means “equity of character or action” and comes from a word meaning justice. Vines says that as it is used here in Matthew 5 it is speaking “of whatever is right or just in itself, whatever conforms to the revealed will of God.” Lydia Brownback said that it wouldn’t be very appealing if we thought he was talking about a list of do’s and don’ts and so she gives it her own meaning. But Psalm 119 makes it very clear that the Christian does loves God’s law and hungers and thirsts for it. This shouldn’t be as surprising or as unthinkable as she makes it out to be. Yes, we should desire Christ, and there are places that speak of that, but this verse is speaking of desiring righteousness, to be righteous and to live in accordance with the law. That’s how Christ lived and a true love for Christ as he really is should love the way he lived and want to live like him.
Though most of the book is fine and even helpful, I am disturbed that in places she jettisons the obvious and clear meaning of God’s word for a meaning that evidently fits in better with what she wants to believe. This is something we all are guilty of sometimes but that doesn’t make it any the less dangerous. We should be both willing to see it in ourselves and willing to point it out in others because the cost of molding God’s word to suit our own ideas is way too high.
In the introduction and in the last chapter of the book she says that contentment and happiness are one and the same if we interpret them Biblically. She doesn’t give a basis for this claim and I cannot find one in Scripture. This may not seem like such a big deal, but when the whole book is about contentment, it is important to define it accurately and I cannot account for why she makes such a claim. The word happiness isn’t used in the KJV, but the word happy is used a couple of times and Vine’ s translates it as “blessed, happy.” It’s from a word meaning large. It is most often translated blessed as in the Beatitudes. The word contentment is defined by Vine’s as “satisfaction with what one has” and is once translated contentment (1 Timothy 6:6) and once translated sufficiency (2 Corinthians 9:8). I don’t see how the words can be said to have the same meaning or that they are used interchangeably in the Bible. Happiness is a much stronger emotion involving great blessing, contentment involves recognizing that one has enough. Food and clothing are cause for contentment (I Tim. 6); inheriting the earth and seeing God are cause for happiness (Mt. 5).
Her main point is that neither happiness nor contentment can be found in things, but must be found in Christ and that is very true. But if we lose the meaning of words, we lose the foundation for everything in the Bible. If people can give whatever meanings they want to words, the Bible will end up meaning everything, or, more accurately, nothing. I’m not so much concerned about her treatment of contentment as I am her treatment of the word of God.
She does something even worse with Scripture in the chapter titled Satisfaction Guaranteed where she says that when Jesus says "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness", he really meant we should hunger and thirst for himself, for Christ. The problem with this is that if he had meant that, he could very easily have said that but he didn’t. It seems reasonable to assume that he said what he meant. Strong’s says that the word used here means “equity of character or action” and comes from a word meaning justice. Vines says that as it is used here in Matthew 5 it is speaking “of whatever is right or just in itself, whatever conforms to the revealed will of God.” Lydia Brownback said that it wouldn’t be very appealing if we thought he was talking about a list of do’s and don’ts and so she gives it her own meaning. But Psalm 119 makes it very clear that the Christian does loves God’s law and hungers and thirsts for it. This shouldn’t be as surprising or as unthinkable as she makes it out to be. Yes, we should desire Christ, and there are places that speak of that, but this verse is speaking of desiring righteousness, to be righteous and to live in accordance with the law. That’s how Christ lived and a true love for Christ as he really is should love the way he lived and want to live like him.
Though most of the book is fine and even helpful, I am disturbed that in places she jettisons the obvious and clear meaning of God’s word for a meaning that evidently fits in better with what she wants to believe. This is something we all are guilty of sometimes but that doesn’t make it any the less dangerous. We should be both willing to see it in ourselves and willing to point it out in others because the cost of molding God’s word to suit our own ideas is way too high.
July 30, 2015
Wow I was surprised. I have never read a devotional with substance, but surprise surprise this was different. I really felt like the Lord was speaking to me through this and maybe it was just me because the Lord is working in my life about Contentment. Anyway, I thought the words were insightful and the book worthwhile. For me and my continue discontent problem, I would purchase this. Great re-read. ...OH, I almost forgot there was one thing that really stood out as WRONG in my eyes and that is the author seems to define contentment as the SAME thing as Happiness. I don't believe the Bible states that. But really I ignore stupid stuff because I find very few Christian authors really get it right, sadly. Even C.S. Lewis has a handful of "what?! that doesn't make any sense." But for people easily influenced, you may not want to read this since she's not 100% in tune with the Bible.
June 8, 2021
A bedtime read that accompanied me through some nights of self-doubt and anxiety, and told me things that I really needed to hear in the moment.
There's so much wisdom in this book, and I'll attempt to share some nuggets of it here:
"We are where we are today by God's Providence. No matter where we are today or how we got here, we are here bc God brought us to this place in our lives so that we might enjoy him more fully and bring glory to Christ. Contentment is to be found right where we are, and we will lay hold of it when we thank him for his wise providence in leading us here, even if we cannot see how his primary purpose is playing out just yet"
"All God does in our lives and everywhere he leads us has one overarching purpose, which is to deepens our rs w him and to further his glory through us. Fulfilling work, like-minded friends, and a nice house are extras. These are God's blessings, not his purposes in his leading of our lives."
Such piercing words for a recently adult-ed me who is still trying to figure out how does 'meaningful' and 'fulfilling' work look like. But I'm reminded that I'm missing the point if my focus is on my work. I need my purpose and fulfillment to be from Him, in Him.
As read in the book, I found myself prone to seeking the 'next thing', the newest excitement. And that stems from a inner restlessness in me, and I got to know that the next change will not fill up the emptiness and void in my heart. What wowed me was:
"Investing in God and in ppl is to invest in hplappinees, bc investing is what God has designed us for and called us to. That is why discarding ppl and places in a search for happiness is actl to forrgrit the very thing we have been looking for. Love the giving of ourselves to God and to those he has placed around us and contentment go hand in hand. If we will just stop searching and start investing, we will find the sort of happiness that will slay our restlessness"
How true! In the period of heightened alert, I've been surprised by random hearty conversations w old/new friends - just bc I've reached out! And I realised that these little exchanges - to encourage / to be encouraged does make my heart warm & soul content:""). Perhaps, if I could focus more on these people that God has placed in my life, or to create more space for these moments, contentment would not be such a faraway place. 😇 indeed,
"contentment comes by believing that we have everything we need for today."
"contentment comes from where we look and what we believe, not from what we have."
"contentment does not lie ard the next corner. It is not waiting for us on the other side of today's difficulty, nor is it lost w ytd. Contentment is where God is, and God is with us today."
"contentment comes when we discover that home is much more about where we are going than where we have come from."
There's so much wisdom in this book, and I'll attempt to share some nuggets of it here:
"We are where we are today by God's Providence. No matter where we are today or how we got here, we are here bc God brought us to this place in our lives so that we might enjoy him more fully and bring glory to Christ. Contentment is to be found right where we are, and we will lay hold of it when we thank him for his wise providence in leading us here, even if we cannot see how his primary purpose is playing out just yet"
"All God does in our lives and everywhere he leads us has one overarching purpose, which is to deepens our rs w him and to further his glory through us. Fulfilling work, like-minded friends, and a nice house are extras. These are God's blessings, not his purposes in his leading of our lives."
Such piercing words for a recently adult-ed me who is still trying to figure out how does 'meaningful' and 'fulfilling' work look like. But I'm reminded that I'm missing the point if my focus is on my work. I need my purpose and fulfillment to be from Him, in Him.
As read in the book, I found myself prone to seeking the 'next thing', the newest excitement. And that stems from a inner restlessness in me, and I got to know that the next change will not fill up the emptiness and void in my heart. What wowed me was:
"Investing in God and in ppl is to invest in hplappinees, bc investing is what God has designed us for and called us to. That is why discarding ppl and places in a search for happiness is actl to forrgrit the very thing we have been looking for. Love the giving of ourselves to God and to those he has placed around us and contentment go hand in hand. If we will just stop searching and start investing, we will find the sort of happiness that will slay our restlessness"
How true! In the period of heightened alert, I've been surprised by random hearty conversations w old/new friends - just bc I've reached out! And I realised that these little exchanges - to encourage / to be encouraged does make my heart warm & soul content:""). Perhaps, if I could focus more on these people that God has placed in my life, or to create more space for these moments, contentment would not be such a faraway place. 😇 indeed,
"contentment comes by believing that we have everything we need for today."
"contentment comes from where we look and what we believe, not from what we have."
"contentment does not lie ard the next corner. It is not waiting for us on the other side of today's difficulty, nor is it lost w ytd. Contentment is where God is, and God is with us today."
"contentment comes when we discover that home is much more about where we are going than where we have come from."
March 25, 2020
How do you rate a devotional book? Well, it was good, thoughtful, and inspiring at times. It is subtitled A Godly Woman’s Adornment so I wouldn’t recommend it to men, however, most of the content would be applicable for men as well. It is labeled an On-The-Go Devotional. I don’t know about that. I did most of my reading in the same place each morning I read. If you are a woman in need of a short read to get your day started with one scripture and words expanding on that, then I would recommend it. There you go.
May 28, 2017
I read this book to prepare for an upcoming women's church retreat by this author and with this theme. This book contains multiple short lessons based on Scripture that center around the theme of contentment. It is an excellent reminder to Christian women as to where to seek happiness and security. It is well written and contains both examples and Bible study. I am looking forward to the retreat as well as to giving this book as a gift to other friends.
July 5, 2019
Got a free download of the e-book from Crossway and read it in a single morning. Solid truths presented in a refreshing format. The Scripture epigraphs would make great memory verses. This book is one I'll read again.
January 17, 2023
Contentment…
It is hardly fleeting happiness nor settling for less as we have become conditioned to think and believe. This is a wonderful book, a candle in the dark, a light from above. Thank you Lydia. I will read this book again and again.
It is hardly fleeting happiness nor settling for less as we have become conditioned to think and believe. This is a wonderful book, a candle in the dark, a light from above. Thank you Lydia. I will read this book again and again.
January 27, 2023
Short and encouraging daily devotions to read in that “in-between moment” during the day.
Though I may not agree with everything, overall it has helped reorient my mind on truth in as little as 2-3 minutes…which I see as a win.
Though I may not agree with everything, overall it has helped reorient my mind on truth in as little as 2-3 minutes…which I see as a win.
December 27, 2018
A dear friend gave this to me as a gift, and I am so glad she did. If you are looking for a great devotional to purchase for a (female) friend, I highly recommend this one.
February 26, 2020
A pure gem!
March 9, 2023
Very insightful and what a beautiful way to learn about contentment in Christ and in our daily lives.
August 2, 2024
Fantastic book! Great references to scriptures & God's will for us to be content through Him & not our own worldly pleasures. Highly recommend and looking forward to her other devotionals.
November 25, 2021
This is a good book for all seasons of a woman's life. God is always, forever and more than enough for us. And God Is most Glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.
June 9, 2011
This is such a needed book. Our culture breeds non-contentment and so this is like a breath of fresh air. A spring brook, a fine symphoney. I liked so many things about this book because it speaks to heart that longs for God. Not just my heart, but all of creation longs for the creator but because of sin, we gravitate to the wrong things. Contentment is a state of mind, but it is also what we believe, what we believe will lead to obedience, and obedience will lead to a God filled joy that brings contentment. It all comes down to trusting his goodness. Sounds easy but we are always spinning our wheels, looking for the easy fix, or not being intentional. Contentment is a choice. She lays out the reason for mis contentment and the solution which is always Jesus and being satisfied in Him. Sometimes we want a guarantee that things will work out and we don't find our satisfaction in trusting God's best for us. Contentment takes a investment in people and our time knowing who God is and just hearing him. Jesus is more concerned about our relationship with him than about what we do for him. Always remember when our relationship is right, our lives will flow out Jesus in all that we do. The Christian life is not serving. The Christian life is Christ!
June 26, 2014
This is a little gem, which I'd saved on my Kindle for a rainy day--this past few months, I'd really needed a fresh word on this subject, and Brownback's scripture-based devotionals were just the ticket. 'Our unhappiness does not spring from what we lack--it springs from the DESIRE for what we lack'. This is so true--there's always just one more thing. Always. God does not withhold happiness from us--we do it to ourselves. If the desire to feel satisfied is there, He is the only thing that will ultimately fill it, no matter how hard we try. In fact, He makes empty places just so He can come and fill them. Loved this quote too: "Whatever we long for but lack is an area in which God will reveal Himself to be more than adequate for us." So many great things to ponder in this book--like Ahab, who despised all of his blessings just because of one small thing he couldn't have (how many times do I do that, God?); Naomi, who lamented over how good the past was-- but "hope is always ahead, never behind"; and Hannah, who in committing her lack of children to the Lord, was set free to place the burden completely on Him. Beautiful, deep devotional, would highly recommend.
August 19, 2014
The small, but potent devotionals, really drive home the importance of contentment. Why we suffer from discontentment may stem from several reasons but ultimately it has its roots in being dissatisfied with God.
What this devotional aids in doing is focusing the reader back to the Giver of contentment. By so doing, the reader is drawn into reflection of just how great God is and why we must find our deepest longings in Him.
What this devotional aids in doing is focusing the reader back to the Giver of contentment. By so doing, the reader is drawn into reflection of just how great God is and why we must find our deepest longings in Him.
October 27, 2015
I started this book with a group of other women as a weekly study. Schedule conflicts made the study eventually fall apart, and I finished it on my own. It's a fantastic devotional, done either in a group or on your own. Each short (one or two pages) chapter is written in a very easy to apply and understand way, and yet the information contained is very convicting, thought provoking, and deep.
February 7, 2017
This book is a great devotional. Very pointed and straight forward. Every day comes with a slap in the face so be prepared. Perfect for anyone looking for the title, contentment, but also for anyone sad or down. We can find joy despite our present struggles.
January 4, 2012
A dear friend sent me this book when I was in the midst of confusion, grief and feeling overwhelmed this past summer. This book was just what I needed to find the calm and peace again. I read little bits each morning and evening and it spoke volumes to my soul.
May 20, 2014
I actually got a lot out of this book. It was pretty simplistic and at times I felt like it was a little shallow, but it was very timely for me. Plus, it helped me that the chapters were short. It was easier for me to find time to sit down and read and get more out of it at once.
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