The God Who Satisfies

Psalm 107:8-9

Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man! For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.



God is the God who satisfies.



So, do you find yourself unsatisfied with things in your life? If you do, you’re in good company because dissatisfaction is part of the human condition. The answer to our condition of being dissatisfied is God.



God reminds us in the Bible that satisfaction is not found in amassing stuff. Satisfaction is an internal condition of the heart. Our satisfaction is possible only to the extent that we have a personal relationship with the Lord.



So, how can I learn to be satisfied with what I have?



Three Principles for Experiencing Real Satisfaction



Principle #1: I will be satisfied to the extent that I see everything I have as a gift from God.



The truth is that everything we have is a gift from God.



James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.



Solomon had every earthly thing that a person could aspire to have. He had wealth, power, position, and fame.



In Ecclesiastes 2:11 Solomon says, “Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toll I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”



Plumb is a Christian rock band that has a song called God Shaped Hole. The chorus of that song says, “There’s a God-shaped hole in all of us. And the restless soul is searching. There’s a God-shaped hole in all of us. And it’s a void only He can fill.”

This hole in the human heart can only be filled by a relationship with God. We have to see that it is God and Him alone who fills our life with good gifts.



Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is seeing everything we have is a gift from God and receiving it from Him.



Principle #2: I will be satisfied to the extent that I notice what is going on in the lives of others.



This is not a form of comparison but of observation.



When I was involved in a jail ministry, I was concerned that I would not be able to identity with them because I had not experienced being in jail. When I began doing the ministry, I found that the only difference in these men and myself was that they were in orange jumpsuits and not able to leave. I shared with them the same concerns, struggles, and temptations. Except by the grace of God, there I would be.



Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 3:16, “Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and that in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.”



All people sin.

All people make mistakes.

All people fail.



The more we notice the needs and sins of others and give ourselves and our resources to helping meet those needs, the more we reflect the character of God and the more satisfaction with what we have in life.



Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is finding our satisfaction in serving the Lord by serving others.



Principle #3: I will be satisfied to the extent that I trust God during times of distress.



There is a weird connection between anxiety and satisfaction.



Several years ago, they found a lump in wife’s breast. The surgery was scheduled. The day arrived and we went to the hospital and they took her back do the surgery. They returned in a few minutes and told us that when they did the imaging, it was not there. We went from great anxiety to great gratitude and satisfaction.



True satisfaction is connected with my perspective.



In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Paul says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”



As I give thanks to the Lord no matter what is going on in my life, I am demonstrating a grateful and satisfied heart.



Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is giving thanks to God in all circumstances.



Solomon ends Ecclesiastes with Ecclesiastes 12:13 which says, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”



True satisfaction will be found in a personal, intimate relationship with God and in that only.



In Relationship with God Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                                Joe