“All that you are, sins apart, is destined, if you will let God have his good way, to utter satisfaction.” – C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain.
Satisfaction by definition means the fulfillment of one’s wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this. All of us are looking for this. Yet so few of us actually find it. It can only be found in Jesus. And even further, only truly found if we neglect ourselves wholly and live for Him completely, without holding anything back.
Psalms 37:1-7 gives a good picture of living for God. It basically says, don’t envy those who do wrong for they will soon die. Trust in the Lord and you will prosper. Take delight in the Lord and He will give you your desire. Commit everything to the Lord and He will help you. Your righteousness and justness will shine because of Him. Be still and wait patiently for God in His presence. Don’t worry about evil people and their wicked schemes.
Every time I read this I feel condemned and ashamed for I am not living as I should.
I have envied those who have done wrong. I haven’t trusted in or delighted in the Lord. There seems to be no punishment for the wicked and neglecting my pleasures seems so unnecessary. I have declared myself god of my life every time I have sinned against God knowingly and purposefully. I have desired after physical pleasures and trusted in myself. I continually break my commitment to Him. Every day I fall short. I turn my own way and seek my own pleasure. I give God a portion but save the rest for myself. I have found only a growing desire for more down that path. There is no satisfaction in this way. Only guilt, shame, and regret.
The only satisfaction and joy in this world is found in Jesus. God wants and deserves my all. So I must offer everything I have to Him. He knows that my truest delight will only be found when I give up every other delight and follow Him wholeheartedly. Every excuse needs to be set aside. The world will call me crazy but God will call me His beloved son. He will reward me so much more than I ever could imagine.
I’m going on the World Race because God told me to. Secondly though it is because I see the wisdom in the calling He has put on my heart. On the Race I will have to trust in the Lord to get through every day. I will learn how to take delight in the Lord as I share and receive His love. I will delight in His majesty as lives (including my own) are radically changed. I will learn to truly commit everything to Him as I am stretched and grown and faced with difficulties I’ve never faced. I will experience joy like I’ve never known as He reveals Himself to me day by day as I share His love.
Psalm 34:5 says, “Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” I long to be radiant with joy with no shame of my numerous sins. I have experienced this very thing before. In some of my deepest and most genuine moments of praise and service to Him, He has truly revealed Himself to me I have felt nothing but joy. No shame could enter my mind! I was fully and utterly encompassed by the great love of God. As the experience fades though the shame does come back, if a little less than before.
The weight of it is heavy especially when I want to serve Him and follow His perfect will yet fail so tremendously! Satan seeks to steal my joy but Jesus is my defender. I am reminded that I can boast in my weaknesses because through them Jesus does great things. My joy cannot be taken because it flows from the well of life, which is Jesus.
God is so good and has blessed me with so much! How amazing it is to experience true joy and to have every blemish forgiven and disregarded by the Father. To have hope in the future beyond death and a purpose in this life on earth is the source of great joy. And the Lord has called me to share this with those who have never heard. What a great honor it is to be called to share the Good News with all people. I am full of joy because of what God has done and is doing for me! I cannot keep it to myself! It is my prayer that all people would at least have the chance to have what I have.
He has called all of us to this through the Great Commission. Not all of us can leave the country and travel to places that have never before heard the great love of Jesus. But everyone can obey this calling by supporting those who can go. We are all one body, yet individual parts. We cannot all be the hands and feet. Neither should we all wish to be. We all have a specific purpose and we all need each other to accomplish God’s perfect will. When we give in to God’s perfect will, only then, we will experience utter satisfaction.
I would so greatly appreciate any support that any of you can give. Both financially and in prayer. God bless.
“All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.” – Acts 4:32-35
