“The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and make your bones strong; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah 58:11
Consider this question: Are you finding lasting satisfaction in your life right now?
My friend, we all thirst for satisfaction. You know…the deep kind that quells our anxiety and opens the door for real joy. We chase satisfaction in money, success, comfort, or even in religious activity. But so often, our desires remain unmet, and our hearts feel unsatisfied. Isaiah paints a stark picture: that is, our life can feel like a “scorched place”—a dry desert where nothing grows. Yet God promises that His people can be like a continually watered garden, overflowing with freshness, strength, and peace.
So why do so many of us who call ourselves “Christians” fail to live with this kind of deep satisfaction described by Isaiah?
The BIG problem is found in who or what we worship!
What? You may say—well I worship God, but I still feel mostly unsatisfied and anxious. Wait—and consider this: It’s impossible to truly worship God and be dissatisfied. Let’s examine this word “worship.” Worship is what we think about, talk about, and live for—the most. If we live, breathe, eat and sleep for work—then work is our real center of worship and God is just a side-gig in our life. So, of course, our satisfaction waxes and wanes because no job was designed to satisfy our greatest need. Our most vital need is a close relationship with God.
But perhaps the greatest trap our enemies have formulated is the belief that we can make religious service and rituals a replacement for making God our center!
Isaiah 58 confronts this issue of living in empty religion head-on. The people of Israel were fasting, praying, and keeping religious traditions, but their hearts were far from God. They performed rituals outwardly, but lived selfishly and unjustly in every other area of life. God exposed them:
“In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exploit all your laborers. Indeed you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, to make your voice heard on high.” Isaiah 58:3-4
The Israelites wanted God’s blessings by simply performing empty religious rituals, without—giving Him the obedience of their heart. They didn’t want to place God on the throne in every room of their heart. They thought rituals could replace love for God. But hypocrisy dries up the soul. Empty religion will never satisfy us because it leaves God out of the center. It glorifies man—not God.
True satisfaction is found in delighting in God
“Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
In other words, when God is our greatest source of delight—our greatest desires are aligned with HIS desires, and so, of course, we are satisfied. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus reminded us that the two greatest commandments are to love God and love others with ALL our heart, soul, and mind. My friend, lasting satisfaction is experienced when God’s love flows through us. We cannot manufacture this on our own. He must be our center. Then—we will desire to live less for ourselves and more as living as vessels of God’s love. This is when we experience miraculous satisfaction! Giving out of love for God brings us greater joy than living in the desert of constant want and selfish expectation. This principle is echoed in Jesus’ teaching: “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 16:25
We think we’ll be happy by holding on tightly to our lives, but Jesus says satisfaction comes when we give our lives away.
The beautiful chapter of Isaiah 58 lists the blessings that come when loving God for who He is:
“Then your light shall break forth like the morning.” (v. 8) We shine with God’s light of love, hope, peace, and wisdom.
“Your healing shall spring forth speedily.” (v. 8) God brings restoration to our soul. Even bodily pain or disease has no power over our ability to live for our Divine purpose of glorifying God.
“Your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.” (v. 8) God surrounds us with His protection.
“You shall call, and the Lord will answer.” (v. 9) Our prayers will seem as if they are hitting the ceiling, because they are directed by God’s Spirit.
“The Lord will guide you continually.” (v. 11) We experience God’s Spirit leading us day by day.
“You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” (v. 11) Our life is continually refreshed, AND is refreshing to others.
“I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth.” (v. 14) God lifts us above life’s valleys into a place of spiritual abundance.
These are not vague promises. They are God’s declaration that our life—when lived in passionate worship of Him, is abundant, strong, guided, and overflowing.
So, where do we find lasting satisfaction?
Not in religious motions. Not in chasing our own pleasure or our own dreams. Not even in doing good works for the sake of our reputation or for our own satisfaction. Lasting satisfaction is found in delighting in God Himself, surrendering to His ways, and letting His presence flow through us into the world. When God is our spring, the waters never run dry. When His Spirit flows through us, even the most scorched places of life become gardens of living water.
Daily Challenge
Ask yourself: Am I experiencing daily deep satisfaction of walking with God? If not—consider what you are worshipping; that is, what takes center stage in most of your thoughts, words, and deeds. Consider it may even be your problems which are consuming you.
Prayer
Lord, I confess I often search for satisfaction in things that cannot fill me. Forgive me for settling for empty religion or selfish pursuits. Teach me to lay all my burdens at Your feet. Teach me to delight in You above all else. Write Your Word deep in my heart so I know your promises. Make me like a spring of living water—refreshed by Your Spirit and refreshing to those around me. Thank You that in losing my life for Your sake, I find it in the abundant satisfaction only You give. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
