This Week's Passage
"For HE satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness." Psalm 107:9 (NKJV)
Strong's:
Satisfies #7646 - saba = to be satisfied, sated, fulfilled, surfeited
Longing #8264 - shaqaq = thirsty
Hungry #7457 - ra'eb - 1c. figurative use = of failing strength
The past five weeks have been difficult for me both spiritually and emotionally. At first, I could not understand why my heart was so heavy and the tears flowed so easily. I am not depressed or unhappy with my life, husband, role, or responsibilities. I am able to function and accomplish what needs to be done. I enjoy my day, but I just felt this heaviness about me that I do not usually experience.
I began to question the Lord about this heaviness. I asked Him to reveal to me the issue and then to deal with it according to His Word. Now, I want to pause here a moment to give honor and glory to the Lord. You see, this is not my normal response to suffering of any kind - large or small. My flesh is very prideful and selfish so my normal response is to be angry that I am dealing with an issue and then I move from anger into my "fix it" mode where I begin to look for the quickest way to remove all the discomfort and return to "life uninterrupted!!" God is gracious and HE has allowed me to study the book of James during this time so my awareness of how HE expects His children to respond to all the trials and affliction in their life is heightened. His truth working in me has enabled me to respond in a way that glorifies Him.
Over the past several weeks, Glen and I have talked and prayed, I have sought counsel from a couple of godly women, and I have stayed in the Word of God seeking Him in the midst of this storm. God is good and HE has walked me through several areas of my heart that needed to be dealt with according to His Word. In fact, two weeks into this particular "storm" one of the ladies I was speaking with said, "Michelle, God has been teaching me that His Word is to be food for my soul!" At once, my heart leaped and I knew that statement somehow fit my situation. I did not know how it fit or what the Lord was trying to teach me, but my spirit agreed with that statement and I quickly wrote that down and began praying and asking the Lord to show me what HE wanted to teach me.
Over the next couple of weeks it became more clear to me. You see, I am an "extremist" (basically, I move from one extreme to the other with very little middle ground). In the past, when I have been given the opportunity to minister I did so with a sinful heart. Because the Lord is a gracious God, HE did not allow me to continue in ministry. HE removed me from that situation and began a long, often painful, yet very wonderful work in those areas of sin and pride. HE has also been dealing with the extremeness in my life. Three months ago, the Lord again opened the door for me to serve. HE gave me the privilege of preparing a Bible study for the ladies' Sunday school class at church. I became very focused on serving in a way that glorifies the Lord and not falling prey to my sinful flesh again in this area.
Over the past three months, my focus has been on preparing, teaching, and serving but I have neglected to allow God's Word to feed my soul. Praise the Lord HE allowed my soul to become heavy and allowed me wisdom to seek godly counsel during this time. Now please hear me say that I have certainly learned a great deal during my individual study and through the wonderful insight each lady brings to the discussion in class. My head knowledge about the Word of God has increased and I really do see things that I did not see before. My understanding of who God is and who I am is heightened; however, what I have been missing is taking time to really allow God's Word to become food for my soul!!
During the discussion last Sunday, we were discussing the commands for teachers in James 3. One lady pointed out that teachers need to be very careful when they teach because they cannot lead beyond the point they are spiritually. That is where I was headed. James continually challenges us to evaluate our faith against the plum line of Scripture. Christians cannot grow in their relationship with Christ if our focus is not on Christ. My Friend, where are you today? Take the Word of God and examine your own faith based on the truths of God's Word. Make sure your faith is in line with Scripture and measure what you say you believe against what you actually do and how you respond to trials in your life.
Read our focal passage once more: "For HE satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness." (Psalm 107:9) God's Word is exactly what each of His children need every moment of every day. There is nothing that God's Word cannot satisfy. Our souls were created for an intimate relationship with Him and anything else dissatisfies the soul. Man is continually seeking to fill that emptiness within Him and God Himself fills us to the very core with all that HE is and all that HE has. An example of this is found in John 4:1-42. God's love, mercy, grace, and complete fulfillment is displayed in Christ Jesus' interaction with the precious Samaritan woman at the well.
Jesus sat beside the well where the Samaritan woman drew water each day. When she approached the well, Jesus asked her for a drink. This sparked a conversation between the two because it was very uncommon for a Jew to interact with a Samaritan. During their conversation, Jesus said to the woman, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and HE would have given you living water."(John 4:10). Jesus talked with the woman about her life and the sin that filled it. She listened and HE opened her eyes to see who HE was. She left Jesus and ran to proclaim Him to her city. Scripture says that many in her city believed. Why? "Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." (John 4:42).
Christ Jesus knew exactly what the Samaritan woman needed and what she was doing to try to satisfy the longing in her soul. Christ confronted her sin with Truth and HE allowed her to come to Him in complete surrender and acceptance. That is exactly what God is calling each of us to do. HE has opened up heaven to those who will believe and those who will call upon the name of Jesus in repentance, surrender and acceptance. There is nothing that you are doing, seeking, obtaining, or accomplishing that will satisfy to the very depth of your soul. Nothing will last forever except the Word of God. "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass, The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever…" (1 Peter 1:24-25a)
Where are you today, My Friend? This very moment, what is your focus? With what are you trying to satisfy yourself? In what are you basing your hope, your trust, your confidence, your purpose? If it is in anything besides Jesus Christ, you are wasting your time. Bow before the Lord God and allow Him to reveal to you any area that is not completely surrendered to Him. Allow Him to expose anything in your life that is hindering your walk with Him. If you are not a believer, call upon the name of Jesus and ask Him for mercy, grace, wisdom, insight and salvation. HE is faithful. HE is the God of heaven and earth. And HE alone is the source of complete satisfaction. Glory and honor to the only One who saves sinners from the wrath of God!!!!
