Satisfaction

When you hear the word 'satisfy' or 'satisfaction' do you think of the Rolling Stones? I immediately start hearing the song in my head and seeing Mick Jagger's distorted image in my head...and yet the song is about NOT finding satisfaction...on many levels.

In my small group, we were discussing the feeding of the 5000. And my leader pointed out something that has resonated with me over the weeks and caused me to see words in worship songs and scriptures in a new light.

It says in Matthew 14 verse 20, "and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets."

They all ate and were satisfied...

The word satisfied indicates- they had no more need. They were not just full, which can be uncomfortable, they were satisfied or content.

A definition of satisfy is- to fulfill the desires, expectations, needs, or demands of (a person, the mind, etc.); give full contentment to: to put an end to (a desire, want, need, etc.) by sufficient or ample provision

That is what Christ brings to us. HE brings satisfaction- resting in His grace and His truth can meet all our needs. Jesus' desire is to satisfy our needs...and most of us don't let Him because we are too busy trying to stuff other things into our lives.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6

Are you satisfied in your relationship with Christ? Are you allowing Him to satisfy you? Or are you trying to fill your life with things that leave you feeling empty and wanting more. I truly believe, even though I don't always find it easy to do, that finding our joy, our contentment, our satisfaction can only be found in Christ. Thirsting after him, pursuing righteousness, seeking His face each morning is the only way to be satisfied. He came that we might have life...and life MORE abundant!

Psalm 63:1-8
1 O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.

4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.

5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.

7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.

8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me


Are you taking advantage of the gift that God earnestly desires you to have? Satisfaction, contentment, ultimate fulfillment. As we move towards Thanksgiving and usually eating to discomfort...think on satisfaction and your relationship with Christ. What are some ways you you find more satisfaction spiritually? Even if it is just looking at the world through different lenses.


Isaiah 58:11
The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

Waiting

I read something today that struck me as rather profound. It was a different way of looking at something very common.

"Biblically, waiting on the Lord is never passive; it is always active."
Experiencing God Day by Day Devotional

Waiting.

Waiting on the Lord to renew our strength.

Waiting on the Lord to reveal His will.

Waiting on the Lord to intervene.

Waiting on the Lord to come again.


All of waiting requires the action of faith- believing that God will do what He says He will do. It requires the action of being patient. Which is kind of an oxymoron but any of us who have tried to be patient understand how much action it takes! Waiting requires us to trust- actively in the Word and promises of God.

Waiting on the Lord. It also asks us pursue God wholeheartedly- running towards Him with everything we are- even when running towards Him requires us to just be still.

I am not very good at waiting. In fact, I am rather bad at the whole deal. When I was younger- I would stay up all night on Christmas Eve just because of the anticipation of Christmas morning. Not because of Santa or the gifts- but because of the magic of Christmas morning. I stayed up because I couldn't sleep...I just couldn't relax enough to settle in and sleep. Therefore, on Christmas morning I crashed around 10am usually. I would be completely exhausted, irritable, and unpleasant to be around so my mother would send me to my room.

That is what happens when we don't utilize the waiting periods for God. We become anxious, irritable, exhausted, and overwhelmed with fear, thoughts, and anticipation that accompanies the waiting game.

But...that is not God's plan. God desires us to take advantage of the waiting period for preparation. Removing all distractions, obstacles, and anything else that gets in the way of us being able to see Him clearly when He decides to act.

Psalm 37:3-8; 34a
3Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

34 Wait for the LORD
and keep his way.

This is a PS- I post on Myspace as well and this is from a reader and I thought I would share...
Thank you! I once had a teacher share with me that the original word for "wait" in the Isaiah 40:31 verse means something like "to cleave" to the Lord... to actively "hope in" and embrace Him, cleave to His very being and essence... a very active "embracing" kind of waiting... thank you for sharing this today... once again... you are right on time. God's blessings! Posted by Jenny

Consequences

People that say that they have no regrets in life are lying. We all have regrets...it is just since we can't do anything to change the past- we must comfort ourselves in anyway possible. It is a very human reaction to a very human problem. Many regrets are caused by sin and the choices we make or fail to make.

Consequences. Cause and effect. These are the difficult concepts to teach children. Some children get them with just being told about them...others have to experience the joy, the pain, and all the emotions in between.

Jesus came so that we might be saved from a life of death, a life with no purpose, a life with no hope and a life without unconditional love. Jesus came to bring life- abundant life. He takes away the sting of death...but many times the consequences of our sins will still sting.

There are sins and choices that cause wounds...and they heal. And we are forgiven. We move on and then the scab is ripped off and there is more pain and a deeper sting. And we must come to the cross of Jesus again. Broken, at the feet of Jesus.

This past Sunday and Monday I watched my husband willingly allow himself up to having a wound ripped open up again. Many of you were there and if you weren't you can listen to his sermon on www.frontlinedc.org.

Though he and I had talked about him sharing his past pain- the reality has hit harder in some ways. It wasn't a done deal that Todd was going to share his own experience. Todd doesn't share things of his past to glorify or make light of the choices he made. It can be a hard balance to strike- Todd doesn't ever want people to make bad decisions thinking, "Todd turned out alright." Todd doesn't' want others to go through the pain that much of his past caused.

God had taken much of the pain of this particular choice away many years ago after Todd surrendered his life to Jesus. But...we hadn't realized that with maturity in Christ- there is a deeper understanding of what he did. And having our own children has made it more real. His parents and my parents heard for the first time while listening to the sermon and Todd had to talk to his mother. He hurt that he hurt her.

We are not alone in our choices or sin- it can affect so many others.

Todd doesn't question the forgiveness, or the grace that God has given him. But, there is always the earthly reality of the choices we make that we have to face. Consequences. Painful, heart wrenching consequences.

My husband came home last night after Arlington completely exhausted and emotionally spent. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him. And I realized I wasn't the only one hugging him- Jesus was right there with us comforting Todd, carrying his burden with him.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matt. 11:28

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:14-17