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Topic: Satisfied (10/11/04)
TITLE: He Who "Satisfies the Desire of the Heart" By Roger Crane 10/17/04 |
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All over the world people are seeking satisfaction. A man wants a career which satisfies his need for success and esteem. A woman wants a satisfying family life. People speak of satisfying a particular craving or physical need. We may be mentally satisfied by a certain argument. A man can go to court to obtain legal satisfaction for a grievance. When giving in to another person’s demands, one might ask, “are you satisfied now?”
In fact, satisfaction means that requirements are met, desires gratified, debts paid off, minds convinced, or atonement made for an offense. To put it simply, when we have what we want or need, we are satisfied. Around the world the desire for satisfaction is exploited and manipulated. We are barraged by advertisements designed to make us dissatisfied, so that we will purchase products. Movies, slick magazines, and the purported lifestyles of people who have more than we do feed that desire.
Is anyone really satisfied? Many claim to be. Some people certainly seem to have everything one could need for satisfaction. But, look at their lives closely and you will notice how they scurry about and strive to get something more--with which to satisfy themselves of ultimate meaning. Being poor is no solution to the problem of satisfaction. There are multitudes who would like to have the things which these icons of our civilization have. The truth is, rich and poor alike have cravings for things which are not fulfilled. Most people are far from satisfied.
Yet, not everyone fits into this picture. We have known people, from all walks of life, who seemed extraordinarily satisfied. What is the difference in them? Could it be that they have found something which has so satisfied their needs and desires that nothing else is necessary?
I am thinking of a group of people, but to understand their satisfaction, we need to go back two thousand years. When Jesus Christ went to the cross to atone for the sins of the world, he fully satisfied the demands for justice of a holy God. Then, with God’s justice satisfied, the way was opened for mercy, for redemption.
Now, those who have received the atonement of Christ have been fully satisfied as well. Their debt has been paid off, and they know that their sins will never again be brought up. Jesus Christ has come into their lives, bringing assurance of love, companionship, and a security that is eternal. These people don’t think in terms of getting satisfaction, or of what they have or don’t have. They have him who “satisfies the desire of the heart.”
This shows the root of the world’s dissatisfaction; that men have not been redeemed. They have, as it were, a hole in their hearts, through which everything that they try to stuff into themselves--to take the place of a relationship with God--leaks out again. They just “can’t get no satisfaction,” no matter how they try; no matter how much stuff they gain in life; no matter how famous they become.
But, believers may sing with all their hearts the words of that old song, "I'm satisfied with Jesus." The holes in their hearts have been plugged by the love of Christ, and they know their lives have significance.
The truth is that Christians are not insulated from becoming dissatisfied. If we allow the mirages of the world to draw us away from communion with Christ, we can find ourselves with unsatisfied cravings, like anyone else. Like Peter, stepping out of his boat on the raging sea, we may take our eyes off of our Lord. But, He is always just a step away, and all we need do is call out to him. Then, we shall find that we stand with him above the cares of life, fully satisfied, needing nothing more than his love wills for us to have, and to be nothing more than his vessel. May we always be so satisfied!