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November 6: Satisfied

The righteous eat to their hearts’ content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry. ~Proverbs 13:25


Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ~Matthew 5:6

I remember a song we used to do with kids back in the day when Kathy and I were more involved with Children’s ministry. “I want more of Jesus, more and more and more! I want more of Jesus than I ever had before! I want more of His great love so rich and full and free! I want more of Jesus, so I’ll give Him more of Me!” We would be wrong to assume that the promise in today’s proverb to the righteous has to do with physical food. It is really more of a promise to those who yearn to know Christ more fully and to know how to live a life that will please Him.

They will be satisfied with God Himself. They may not be satisfied in the physical, or seen world, as we have been calling it. However, in the spiritual or unseen world, we will be satisfied by the abundance of supply that God provides to help and encourage us to grow in Him and grow more like Him. We will not be disappointed when we focus on the banquet of His Word.

Throughout the seen world, persecuted brothers and sisters are living in poverty and starvation. Their homes are gone. They have nothing to go back to. They are suffering physically, yet they hold on to their faith I Christ. Why? Because what He provides spiritually is sufficient to enable them to endure the deprivation they are experiencing physically. If they thought that their satisfaction would be physical in nature, I believe that many of them would have renounced their faith long ago because, if it meant physical provision, God would be seen as either not willing, or not able to keep His promises to provide and protect.

They don’t give up though. They hold on to the hope that they have gained in Him. They do see Him as a God who keeps His promises because they experience how He meets them every day with what they need to press on. A good question for each of us today is to ask, “Would God’s righteousness be enough for me?” If you lost everything you now enjoy, home, church, food, protection from the cold, would you lean on your faith and find it sufficient, or would you begin thinking that God doesn’t exist, or doesn’t care, or doesn’t love you any more, if ever?

God wants us to focus on Him and be content with Him no matter what storm blows our way. When we are most focused on Him, He has promised that we will be satisfied with His provision. Those who are focused on evil cannot be satisfied because they cannot be content with the power they have obtained through their evil desires. It can never be enough because they can never have enough control, or other physical gain, to satisfy their cravings.

There is a God shaped and God sized hole in every heart and only God can fill it. People try to throw all kinds of things in there. They can consume and consume, and never be filled because there will always be something to else conquer, something more to want. Only in the Lord is there true contentment. In Him there is peace. In Him, we can give up our cravings for what the world has and let Him provide what we need instead.

Prayer: Father, I know that only You can satisfy my deepest needs. Thank You for reaching out to me and offering yourself! Help me to hunger and thirst for more of You above everything! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Song: Fill My Cup Lord



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