May 25 – Holy Satisfaction (Ecclesiastes 6:7)

“Death and destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man.”(Proverbs 27:20)

IN WORD:
Nearly every child has sworn an oath to his parents: “Just buy me this one thing, and I’ll never ask for anything else ever again.” It’s a hollow promise from the beginning; every parent knows it isn’t true. Nearly every Christian has offered a similar prayer to God: “Just answer this one thing, and I promise I’ll be satisfied.” It’s a hollow promise. God knows better. Deep down, so do we.
What is it about human nature that is always craving but is never content? We’ve all approached milestones in our lives with the thought that once the milestone is accomplished, we’ll be happy with our lives. But we never are. As soon as the next job is realized, the next house is bought, the next car is driven, the next relationship results in marriage, or whatever we’re looking forward to is accomplished, we set our sights on something new.
Whatever the reason, we can know at least one thing about our cravings: They indicate that we’re missing something deep within us. We have a gnawing hunger for more meaning, more purpose, more results. We can thank God that He made us that way; it’s His design for our fruit-bearing and our growing relationship with Him. But we also have to be aware of how sin has distorted that design. We turn it toward possessions, people, places, and personal agendas. Instead of letting a holy discontentment drive us toward god and His Kingdom, we let a twisted discontentment drive us toward fulfilling our needs in unholy ways. We’re looking for life in all the wrong places.

IN DEED:
The proverb is true; the eyes of man are never satisfied. But a maturing relationship with God will shine light on our dissatisfaction. It will also turn it toward the things that really fulfill us. We will find that it is, in fact, possible to be content with the things of the world and still be driven by a desire for God. He is the only One who satisfies.

“It is so important not to waste what is precious by spending all one’s time . . . Complaining over what one does not have.”
-Edith Schaeffer-