A Satisfied Heart
Have you ever been anticipating some big event with great expectations, but when everything is said and done, you feel somewhat dissatisfied?
Perhaps, it was something as simple as sitting down to eat an ice cream sundae. There is an intense longing and desire as you are waiting to take that first bite. But when the bowl is empty, you just feel kind of “blah” from eating too much sugar.
Looking for satisfaction within the World is like eating potato chips. You are never satisfied. You can eat entire party size bag of empty useless calories and yet still crave more.
“If we let our hearts become fixed on temporal pleasure rather than on God, we will never experience the joy and blessedness that God intends for us.” (Paul Chappell).
One of the hardest lessons in life is learning to have a satisfied heart during the seasons of waiting. A satisfied heart is a contented heart. But the only place we can find true satisfaction and contentment is resting in the arms of the Savior. If we want our hearts to be truly satisfied, we must seek fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Every one of us has a deep longing that desires to be filled. Many seek fulfillment through wrong means. We can try and fill our lives with many worldly things, but it will only lead to more emptiness and lack of fulfillment. We will never find complete satisfaction apart from Christ.
A Satisfied Heart Fears the Lord
Psalm 145:19, “He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.”
Proverbs 19:23, “The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.”
To fear the Lord means to have a deep sense of respect or reverence for Him. It means allowing God to reign supreme upon the throne of our hearts. The only way to have a satisfied heart is to hold the Lord in His proper place.
The World laughs at and mocks God. But they have no real peace in their lives. They have chosen to put self in the place of God.
A Satisfied Heart Delights in the Lord
Psalm 21:2, “Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips.”
Psalm 37:4, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
Psalm 107:9, “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”
God wants to fill our hearts and souls with good things. The problem comes when we think what is good is different from what God thinks is good for us. God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.
When we delight in the Lord, His desires become our heart’s desires. We can only find satisfaction when our will is in line with His.
A Satisfied Heart Sets Its Affection on Things Above
Matthew 6:19-21, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Colossians 3:1-2, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
They say all a rich man wants is just a little bit more. The things of this World will never bring satisfaction. Here in America, it is easy to get caught in the pursuit of riches even as believers. So many times we are worried more about building our earthly “kingdom” than we are about building the Lord’s kingdom.
What are you filling your heart with? Are you filling it with spiritual things or temporal things?
A satisfied heart will be continually seeking the presence of the Lord and will be wholly involved in His work.
Closing Thoughts…
Paul Chappell writes,
“The only real and fulfilling pursuit in life is the pursuit of a close relationship with God.”
Only Christ will give us a satisfied heart as we pursue a vibrant relationship with Him. He desires to fulfill our greatest needs and delights in filling the longing soul!
