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There was a certain man without a second man, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches—“And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of good?” This too is vanity, and it is a grievous endeavor.

Ecclesiastes 4:8, LSB

Discontent can drive us to hopelessness. This is why our Lord desires for us to seek contentment in Him and the salvation He gives us. If we see no end in sight and the doldrums of life continually crash upon us, we go on without purpose. In Christ, we are given purpose and hope. We have the confidence of our salvation through His promises and His choosing, yet we see those who have not heard and do not know the gift that our Lord offers. In our content, we are given the gift to share the promise with others, and the hope that our Lord brings is more clearly seen through our lives. All the riches in the world will never satisfy a discontented heart. No amount of worldly success will give a person hope. Hope comes through our Lord and His promises. God heals, and yet some desire more and remain unsatisfied because the discontented heart finds no satisfaction in anything, as the desire for more fills their minds and leaves a void in their souls. In Christ, we can be content knowing the promises He has given, and in this, we find our peace.

Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.