Tag Archives: Satisfaction

Satisfied in Jesus

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“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
(John 6:35 (ESV))

As I prepared for last Sunday’s sermon on Matthew 6:16-18 (Jesus’ instruction on Fasting) something occurred to me that I hadn’t ever considered before.  If the purpose of a Fast is that, rather than finding your strength from physical sources (bread, meat, caffeine), you turn to God, the true source of all life, health, and strength, then the one who is Fasting should demonstrate in their strength of character that they have indeed been fed by “every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4).  Jesus had Fasted 40 days, and was hungry (an understatement), but because of His intimate reliance upon and relationship with the Father, he was able to withstand the temptations of the evil one.  He was hungry because of the Fast, but satisfied in God.

I’ve Fasted before, sometimes skipping a meal for prayer, one time even Fasting for a week.  I have, on occasion, “given something up” for Lent, usually something that wasn’t good for me anyway, as an act of discipline.  The greatest revelation provided through the Fast has always been how self-sufficient I have become.  If I’m hungry, I can just run out and get something to eat.  If I’m bored, I can grab a snack.  If I’m down and depressed, maybe some “comfort food” will help cheer me up.  Who really needs God when there’s Bratwurst, Kraut, and a Cold Stout ready and waiting?  Fasting reveals just how dependent I have become on food, but more importantly, how little I think I depend upon God.

Don’t get me wrong, I think God gave us brats and kraut, beer and wine, steak and potatoes, fish and chips, spaghetti and marinara… a smorgasbord of succulent sustenance that we may eat and be blessed.  The problem arises when we begin to think that this sustenance will satisfy, because it doesn’t.  No matter how many times you eat yourself sick, and mumble as they roll you away from the table, “I couldn’t eat another bite…” – you will be back.  You will thirst again, you will be hungry again.  Until you can find that one thing that really satisfies, your stomach, your life, will always yearn for more.

Jesus said, right after feeding 5,000 people, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”  More than anything else, Jesus is the one thing that will satisfy our souls.  We scramble around in a maddening rush trying to find that one thing to make us happy, satisfied, content in life – all the while Jesus offers the bread of life, the living water.

Perhaps the reason why we are not satisfied in Christ is that we have never really gone to him to be satisfied.  We are content with an occasional nibble of bread and a thimble of wine, when He is ready to bless us so that our cup runneth over and our heart overflows with the river of life.  We don’t want to have to trust and depend upon the provision of another, thinking that our independence is some sign of spiritual superiority, when in reality we are starving ourselves of our one source of life.  “I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Perhaps we just haven’t been reminded enough of how Christ can satisfy our souls.  I direct my sermons so that every message leads us to trust and hope in Christ, but how often do I extol the vast treasure and the unsearchable joy that comes from knowing Him?  Not often enough.

I finished my sermon on Sunday with a quote from Robert Murray McChayne’s letter to a friend whose soul was troubled:

He is not far from any one of us. He is a powerful and precious Saviour, and happy are they who put their trust in Him. He is the Rose of Sharon, lovely to look upon, having all divine and human excellences meeting in himself; and yet He is the Lily of the Valleys,—meek and lowly in heart, willing to save the vilest. He answers the need of your soul. You are all guilt; He is a fountain to wash you. You are all naked; He has a wedding garment to cover you. You are dead; He is the life. You are all wounds and bruises; He is the Balm of Gilead. His righteousness is broader than your sin; and then He is so free.

Friends, know that in Christ you will find everything your heart desires.  Turn to Him.  Find in Him your strength.  Be satisfied.

Grace and peace,

SDG

Transitory Obsessions

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“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…”
(Philippians 2:9-10 ESV)

We are a people easily obsessed with the transitory.  Something new and sparkly catches our eye and we say, “Ooh, that’s nice.”  Over time, we begin to picture ourselves owning/using/wearing whatever caught our attention, and we think, “I’d really enjoy having that.”  Next we begin to think about all the good things we could do with this new object, how we could use it to help others, to make their life enjoyable, or simply to make ourselves more enjoyable to be around because we have “IT”.  Then we begin to obsess, we put “IT” on our wish list; we drop hints to family and friends when birthday/Christmas/anniversary is approaching; we become sullen and disappointed when we don’t get “IT” immediately.  We know we won’t be satisfied until we have “IT.”  Then we get “IT” and the world seems right.  There is nothing more we could need to be happy.  Then, something new and sparkly catches our eye…

The pleasures this world have to offer are gifts from God, gifts to be a blessing in our lives and to be enjoyed.  The problem is, because our hearts are so inclined to idolatry and evil, every good gift from God has the potential to become an idol for our hearts.  We become obsessed with the things that can only bring momentary pleasures, fleeting joys.  We think, “If only I can have “IT”, then I will be truly happy.”  But when we have “IT”, happiness quickly escapes us, and we are left disappointed and wanting more.

The simple reason for this is there is only one thing that can really satisfy our longing for true and lasting happiness in life.  We look for happiness in all the wrong places.  We look for happiness in the names we know – our relationships, our circle of influence, our social networking.  We look for happiness in the names we possess – name brand clothing or products – after all, “the label makes the man.”  We even look for happiness in the names we are called – the respect and honor given to us by our peers – “He’s a good man,” “She’s a beautiful woman.”  If you look to find your happiness and satisfaction in any of these, you will be left empty.

There is only one name that can truly bring us satisfaction and peace – that is the name of Jesus.  Only Jesus can answer the deepest longing of your soul, that need for completion, for fulfillment, for lasting joy.  How does Jesus satisfy?  The opening chapter of Hebrews tells us:

  1. He is the heir of all things… Here the word “Heir” is synonymous with the title “Lord.”  Everything that has ever been created has been created by and through Jesus, and therefore He is the Lord, the possessor, of all things.  Whatever we might need, Jesus can provide.
  2. He is the radiance of God’s glory… Man was created to reflect the glory of God.  Because we have sinned, and each of us knows our sins, for they are always before us (Psalm 51), we have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  Falling short of God’s glory means that we do not bring glory to God as we ought, but it also means that we have lost sight of God’s glory.  We despise His glory and want it for ourselves.  We fear His glory and want it diminished.  We are blinded to His glory, and cannot recognize its beauty.  But Christ comes as the radiance of God’s glory, as the rays shine from the sun.  A.W. Pink wrote, “Were there no rays, we should not see the sun.  So, apart from Christ, the brightness of God’s glory could not be perceived. Without Christ, man is in the dark, utterly in the dark concerning God.  It is in Christ that God is revealed.”
  3. He is the imprint of God’s nature – All that God is, in His nature and character, is expressed and manifested, absolutely and perfectly, by the incarnate Son.  All we need to know about God, about His love, about our salvation, is clearly revealed in Jesus.
  4. He upholds the universe by His power – We teach our children the song, “He’s got the whole world in His hands,” but then we grow up and leave such thoughts behind.  We have a hard time swallowing the truth that Jesus is the central force that holds all things together.  But Jesus stands in the middle of it all, and holds everything together.  We were created to orbit Him, for our lives to revolve around Him.  When they don’t, that is when we begin to unravel and spin out of control.
  5. He has atoned for our sins – Only Jesus has paid the price for our salvation.  By coming to be with us, bearing our sins upon His cross, He has set us free from the guilt of sin and the power of death.  Now He sits at the right hand of God and intercedes for us, prays for us, and promises to bring us to Him.

What other name can do all that?  Can your childhood sports hero claim any of these titles that have been given to Christ? Can the labels you wear do any of the things that Jesus has done?  Can the thing you want satisfy your soul in the way that Christ has?

Let us leave behind these transitory obsessions, and “fix our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith!”