Satisfaction Guaranteed

For a long time, I have had an idea of what I wanted in life. They range from being Beethoven reincarnate to having a BFF (that means Best Friend Forever for anyone not culturally literate in American slang).  And none of my desires are bad things. Most of them are actually God-given desires: wanting to use my gifts as a pianist to bless people or desiring a close friend.  Such dreams aren't anything short of human.

If you could wish upon a star, what would you wish for? You could have anything your heart desires. What is that thing?

Are you thinking of something? Good. Now, ask yourself (because I can't be there in person to ask you personally) why you want that thing.

Chances are, your answer to that question boils down to this: "It makes me feel happy." If not...then this may not be the blog post you're looking for.

The things we want make us happy because we want to feel fulfilled.  And we believe that those things will fulfill us in some way. I believed that having BFF would make my life feel fuller, that using my gifts would satisfy me.

There's this song called Satisfied (by Clara T. Williams), and it has some pretty powerful lyrics. We sang it in youth group not long ago and these lyrics stood out at me:

Feeding on the filth around me 'til my strength was almost gone                                    Longed my soul for something better, only still to hunger on.

 I realized that the lyrics described exactly what I've been doing. I've been eating dirt, trying to get filled up; all the while, I knew there was something better, but I opted for the dirt.

Let's be real: we are eating dirt. Anything you chase that is not the heart of God is going to turn out to be wind. Not too long ago, I got a wake-up-call that I had been chasing the wind for a long time, hoping that I was going to finally feel fulfilled once I caught it. But I never caught it. It vanished in the distance, leaving me discouraged and exhausted and empty.

So do we give up? Do we abandon happiness as an empty hope, a wish upon a star that will never come true?

By no means! There is satisfaction to be found! One of my favorite authors, C.S. Lewis, said this:

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”

 Take a second and absorb that. If you have a desire, an emptiness, and dirt and wind can't fill you up, then you have a hunger for something that is not dirt and wind. You have a hunger for Someone...who created the dirt and wind...who created you out of the dirt and wind. And He put that desire in your heart.

The lyrics of Satisfied don't end without hope either:

Hallelujah! He has found me, the One my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies all my longings, through his blood I now am saved

 Isn't that great news? When we are out of strength, such that we can hardly look up, the One who can satisfy us finds us and fulfills us!

Stop trying to find satisfaction and let Him find you! The dirt and wind will not satisfy, and will eventually fade away...but the Bread of Life can satisfy, and He can save. Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33).

But you know, when God has filled your heart, nothing else really matters!

Well of water ever springing, Bread of Life so rich and free
Untold wealth that never faileth, my Redeemer is to me
Hallelujah! He has found me, the One my soul so long has craved! Jesus satisfies all my longings, through his blood I now am saved!

He Knows

I like to listen to music. A lot. In fact, I'd wake up to it and listen to it until I go to sleep if I could. Obviously, there is a need for silence too, but that is another blog post for another day.

And, since I listen to so much music, I find it hard to pick one song as my all-time-favorite. I think favorites change, especially with music, as different songs speak to us in different ways during different seasons.

Not long ago, Christian artist Jeremy Camp released a single "He Knows." You might have heard it on the radio. If not, the link is below. I encourage you to listen to the lyrics.

The first time I heard the song, I liked it. Good words, good beat, everything.

But over a few months, things in my life started changing. I graduated (for one) and I was hurt by someone I thought was my friend. I've been stressed and discouraged fairly often recently, and I needed something to take comfort in.

I bought the album with "He Knows" on it and listened to it almost obsessively (which is a habit of mine when I get new CDs) about the same time. I like all the songs, but "He Knows" especially touched me.

What I love about "He Knows" is the message: No matter how bad things are for you, He knows "every hurt and every sting; He has walked the suffering." He knows.

I've heard plenty of songs too that essentially say, "What you're going through is bad, but God's got it under control. Have faith."

And sure, that's great to hear.

But when I'm going through these tough times, times when I'm going through storms, I don't really want to hear, "It'll be okay." And besides, I always feel like they are talking about people going through cancer or death or something drastic. They don't seem to apply to friend drama. I mean, what is drama compared to the "big" things, like a six-year-old dying from cancer or poverty among refugee camps or human trafficking?

When I listen to "He Knows," however, I don't hear, "It'll work out alright." It declares that in the pain that I am going through, I am not alone. Jesus has hurt the same way. He sees the wounds in my heart and can show me scars on His own that match.  He knows what I'm going through, knows how it feels. Sure, He'll make all things work together for good; but right now, I need someone who can truly empathize, someone who has walked my suffering.

I draw great comfort from the words, and I cling to its message.  HE KNOWS. Right here, right now, with me in my pain; HE KNOWS. 

And no matter what you're going through, no matter how you are hurting, remember that Jesus has endured it all. Even if you don't have the strength to pray. Even if your fight has been so hard and you've fallen so low. He has walked YOUR suffering.  Let your burdens come undone; lift your eyes up to the one who knows. HE KNOWS.