Complete Satisfaction Part 1: Our Greatest Need

I was talking to a friend who has been a Christian for many years, and she was relating her frustration with her never ending cycles of joy and dissatisfaction. We’ve all been there! It seems that even when God blesses abundantly—our satisfaction never lasts long because we always have a new problem or need. We never seem to have enough to be perpetually satisfied. There’s always that one last thing that—if God would just do it—we believe we would be completely satisfied. The fact is, our lack of complete satisfaction has nothing to do with God. 

God always does more than enough for us.

So what’s the problem? Well, if it’s not God—it must be us. That’s what this series is about—how to learn to live satisfied in any circumstances. 

You see, God is ALWAYS SATISFIED with Himself because He is the infinitely, self-existing, triune God and there is nothing He needs that does not already exist within Himself.

We struggle to wrap our head around this concept, right? But, that’s good because the fact we can’t understand God means He is truly worthy of our worship!

My friend, God created us to derive our greatest satisfaction from His presence.

You might say, “Well, if God is already everywhere, why don’t I feel His presence and thus, FEEL perpetually satisfied?” In my experience, the solution lies in the difference between our HEAD knowledge and our HEART knowledge. It’s in the relationship. For example, you can be alone in a crowd of people—or—you can be surrounded by a crowd of friends. In both circumstances you’re surrounded by people, but the difference is in the RELATIONSHIP. Relationships take time—like what God and I are doing right now. He is teaching me from His Word how to be satisfied in Him. I’m sharing what He’s teaching me with you based upon both my head knowledge of His Word and my experiential heart knowledge. It’s proving to be quite a journey!!!

When we desire to experience God’s presence more than anything else, we are never alone in the crowd—He satisfies us beyond what we can even imagine.

My favorite experiences in God’s presence are not hyper-spiritual feelings from a good church service. Rather, it’s when He is in the valley with me. It’s when He speaks to me in the middle of my fear and worry. It’s when He solves the problem of the hour. It’s when I’m listening to someone pour out their pain and He gives me the words or actions to help them. It’s when He walks with me in the woods and fills me with His joy and peace. It’s when He tucks me in at night. It’s when He so graciously forgives me for the same darn sin over and over and over again. This is our experience with Almighty God, as He surrounds His children with a strong sense of His presence.

After we are born again and become His child, He very much desires to teach us how to live with a strong sense of His presence. God is love and to live in His presence is to live in love. He loves us so well—if we allow Him. The experience of God’s generous love is remarkable. But does this mean He lavishes us with everything our PHYSICAL mind and body desires? No. In fact, God warns us against this because He knows that an abundance of the things of this world CAN turn us into passionate pursuers of worthless fools gold! The Bible says:

“Do NOT love the world or the things in the WORLD. If anyone LOVES the WORLD, the love of the Father is NOT in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

1 John 2:15-17

We are created with a body, a soul, and a spirit and we were made to experience supernatural love. Our soul and spirit last forever; thus, it makes sense that God would desire to bless us with the BEST; that is, the things that last forever; including His love. An ice cream date with our child is a delightful time, but it’s over almost as soon as it begins, right? We do much better to give them greater gifts—character, good habits, self-discipline, healthy relationships, and most importantly, a strong relationship with God who will always be there for them long after we’re gone. As born again believers, God desires to see us grow in spiritual character, spiritual good habits, spiritual self-discipline, and strong spiritual relationships—with Him and others. 

In God’s presence we experience the “FULLNESS of joy.”

“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Psalms 16:11

God, who is our perfect spiritual parent, created us with the ability to think with the mind of Christ and develop a spiritually dominant perspective on life. However, our mind is often trapped in the natural man’s grooves of “the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.” We want what we want—more things, a different situation, better friends RIGHT NOW because—we think it will satisfy us. But how much ice cream can a child eat before they’re sick and then—HATE ice cream and need something different? NOW!

Exactly. 

Are you sick of the ice cream and ready for a grown-up relationship with God? If you want to live a completely satisfied life, then you must grow and develop an appetite for the meat! To fail to do so is the reason we see so many Christians (including myself for many years) perpetually dissatisfied. Rather than satisfying ourselves in the presence of God, we cram our life full of the business and the physical desires of this world. We were NEVER designed to be satisfied by the things of this world. They are fleeting. Tomorrow we are going to discuss from God’s Word one of the FUNDAMENTAL changes we need to make in order to live satisfied by God’s presence. In the meantime, I leave you with this question:

Do you know ANY Christian who seems completely satisfied; that is, not only content in any circumstance, but also overflowing with love, joy, peace, wisdom, and strength?

We would love to hear your thoughts about this devotional. Did God speak to you or challenge your daily walk with him? Or is there a topic that you would like Kimberly to cover or expound on? Please share with us in the comments below.

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