July 6 I Friday

Job 32-33

Acts 14

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

There are Bible translations that end the fourth beatitude with “…for they will be satisfied.” There is some irony in this, because most people are hungering and thirsting for satisfaction, but it is not satisfaction we are to be hungering and thirsting for. “Blessed,” the word Jesus uses, is the Greek word markariós, which means “to be happy,” but not in a superficial sense. “Blessed” is a deep lasting inner sense of well-being and contentment, regardless of our circumstances. Satisfaction is closely related, and what we strive for, but it never comes by looking for it.

To illustrate, the galaxy Andromeda is 2.2 million light years away. It is the furthest group of stars we can see with the naked eye, but it cannot be seen when looking directly at it. If you know where to locate it, you have to look a bit to the side, and in the corner of your eye, you will see the galaxy’s haze. Satisfaction is elusive like that. The enjoyment we have from monetary gain, sexual pleasure, recognition, status or any other means by which we seek satisfaction apart from God, will not last. It is like getting hold of a bar of soap in the bath, only for it to slip away as soon as we think we have it. True and lasting satisfaction cannot be found until we stop treating satisfaction as an end in itself.

We were all created with a homesickness for God that nothing else can satisfy. True satisfaction comes from looking for the answer to this deepest desire of the human heart. It comes from knowing God and Jesus Christ, knowing their character, experiencing them and realizing how our lives can change when we love and trust the working of His Spirit. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Not only will our physical needs be met, but we will be satisfied by lasting joy in the strength, comfort and transformation we receive in Christ.

Psalm 23 gives a beautiful picture of this. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing” (Psalm 23:1). In Christ, we have everything we need, even in the darkest of times. It is in hardship we are drawn closer to God with a fresh dependence on Him, and are secure in the fact that our lives are in His hands. True satisfaction is not the absence of life’s hardships, nor is it the temporary happiness of earthly pleasures. It is the enjoyment of God in our troubles and the experience of His presence and working in our lives.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, turn my eyes to You so I may see the source of true satisfaction. Thank You for walking with me, being my strength and for providing me with everything I need.