I CAN Get Some… Satisfaction
The kind of food we put in our bodies is a big thing around the Scott household. We are a “no high fructose corn syrup” zone! We know when we haven’t eaten well. Junk food may taste good for the moment, but it doesn’t satisfy. Even Lauren, the biggest lover of junk food among the Scott’s, will later say, “I should have eaten something healthy.” The foods that satisfy are those that are pure, rich in nutrients, and unaltered by man.
I like how King David chose to describe the satisfaction he gets from worshiping God by comparing it to eating the richest of foods. We can try and fill our lives with many things, things that can seem good in the moment, but only God can truly satisfy. The one and only true God.
King David continues in his worship with a song. While worship is so much more than a song, music CAN be a great way to worship. A really good song can help me refocus, quit having a pity party, and realize how big and powerful God really is. A song can simply help steer focus onto God instead of me. A song can take me back to the heart of worship.
Another common topic in our house is how the entirety of our lives should be worship. This past week we talked about how the last thing we think about at night can often be the first thing we think of in the morning. We encouraged each other to think of the God moments of the day and let those be the thoughts of our night. It’s just another way to try to focus on God.
Just as eating healthy food starts out as a discipline and then becomes the preferred way of life, living lives of worship can be the same. It requires discipline and choices to worship, but the more it is practiced the more it becomes a way of life and a desired necessity. Nothing can successfully be put in God’s place because we have eternity set in our hearts AND only He satisfies.
Like most people, at the start of the new year my family and I began to get serious about the “Scott family” Diet. Otherwise known as “high-fructose free feasting”. This is not the first time I have begun something good for me, but where will I be next month, or the month after. Eventually complasency overtakes me and I fall back to my old habits.
I can’t agree more that a life of worship requires discipline. So this year, in this month, in this week, on this day, at this hour I am putting God first. I am trying to keep the business of life out of my mind. I long to be satisfied, deeply spiritually satisfied.
They (whoever “they” is) say it takes 21 days to make something a habit. Although personally I think that applies only to good or habits. The bad ones seem to stick right away. But, with that in mind, I want to make worship my habit. My default mode should always be looking to God. I agree with Sherry about how the last thoughts of the day can be the first thoughts of the morning. How many times have I ended the day with the stresses of life on my mind only to toss and turn that whole night? Beginning and ending each day ( and of course in the middle as well) worshipping my loving Creator is the only way I can truly be satisfied.
Cool, Sherry. Thank you.
“On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.” I usually have no problem falling asleep – head hits the pillow and thirty seconds later I’m out. Every once in awhile, I have trouble. I may have a worry, or my own distance from God wakes me up. I wake up in the middle of the night – 3 or 4 AM is when it happens. It’s fruitless for me to try to go back to sleep, so I usually start praying. I won’t get any rest until I am back right with my DAD. Did He wake me up. Sometimes He has woken me in the middle of the night to let me catch my kids sneaking in. They mean so much to Him. That scared them, too. Mostly it’s me and my own separation and waywardness that causes my spirit to be restless. Praise helps me remember who He is and who I am. Sometimes, I pray for people, too. I don’t want to wake up Gayle, so it’s silent prayer and praise, or I’ll get up and go to another room. There is something about the house at night when everyone’s asleep. There’s a peace then that just lends itself to getting back close to God.
A good meal is satisfying. A good nights rest is satisfying. A great time of worship fills me up to overflowing. It has to be taught however. I have had some good teachers through the years. I have also known stiff unbending worshippers. I learned from them they make it about them. If I am truely giving God His worth,His due, praising Him and His name I can be filled up to overflowing. Then I find true rest.
i love my wife.
Herb, I know what it is like to start something strong and then fade after a month or so, HOWEVER, with this fantastic medium for us to, as Bill said recently, have “iron sharpen iron” I see so many of us “faders” lasting longer and longer in our spiritual disciplines.
To be satisfied entirely by God . . . . sounds very free. We tend to turn to so many different things for satisfaction: work, food, exercise, addictions, etc. Everthing comes up short – even the “good things”. I truly want to live life from a place of deep satisfaction no matter what my current life situation is. How we live our lives is our choice – even if our circumstances are not.
What if our souls were satisfied? Would we see what we read about in Acts (And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved)?
And, I love my wife also.
Thank you, Sherry. As I read this, the song Heart of Worship kept coming to my mind. The lyrics are beautiful. As Doug wrote earlier this week, I pray that I can truly live what these words are saying…
When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that’s of worth
That will bless Your heart
I’ll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what you have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart
I’m coming back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus
I’m sorry Lord for the things I’ve made it
When it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I’m weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath
I’m sitting at Starbucks this morning doing my reading… I am very satisfied with my sacred brew. It’s exactly what I want. But after awhile it all wears off. The buzz, the aroma, and my cup will soon be empty. My satisfaction will be fleeting at best. That’s the way MY kind of satisfaction always rolls… and it’s an endless, daily, marketed, American pursuit for me.
I wonder if I do this with God too. Do I want satisfaction from God, but on my terms and within my comfortable parameters? If this is true, then I could potentially reject his “richest of foods.”
Soul satisfaction is, perhaps, an American dinosaur. Satisfying and “the richest” foods may only come in a form that God designs. Hmmm… And His ways are not my ways.
Can I allow God to satisfy my soul with His richest foods… even if it’s not my design or to my particular liking? If I can, I think that’s when hands go up and knees go to the front steps.
And how cool is it that a pastor’s wife references a Rolling Stones song? Awesome.
Satisfying the flesh is easy to do. Satisfying the spirit is easy if we can move self aside. When I was little my grandmother use to sing this song “Satisfied with Jesus”. It’s a quite catchy little tune. When I look back and remember the expression on her face when she would sing that song, I now understand and know that she was truly satisfied with Jesus and Jesus alone.
My prayer for all of us today is we will encounter GOD and will never remain the same.
And to all of you that love your wives THANKS.
We are here to live holy, loving, lowly lives. We cannot do this unless we walk very, very close to our Lord Jesus. Anything that would hinder us from the closest walk that is possible to us till we see Him face to face is not for us. –Amy Carmichael
Whenever I think about the moments that I’ve been the most content or joyful, I always think of the moments that…it’s hard to find words…I’m saturated in the purpose, glory, and will of God. It is less common than I wish, but when it happens it’s as if time stands still. I’m swept up in the eternal and there are no words to describe the glory that overtakes me. I remember a few specific moments: at Starbucks in college when I was pretty much blindsided by His love, when I got to pray individually with a small group of girls I was leading, when I got to share the gospel with an Israeli girl in Nicaragua, when I married a man who is immeasurably more than I could ever ask or imagine, and the list goes on. It’s these moments that I try to remember in the mundane, knowing that He alone will be my satisfaction. I want to forsake all others for the kingdom and the glory of God, taking hold of that which I cannot see and living with the hope of heaven in my heart. There is no God like Jehovah!
To me it’s a about “picking” and “choosing”. Picking seems so temporary. “Choosing” seems more thought out, more for the greater good, long term. In the book of Acts we see a lot of “choosing” going on. It appears they have what we a lot of us seem to desire, constantly strive for…discipline. As Philip Harper pointed out to me yesterday, they were truly living “Agape”.
Last thought, first thought – enough said…
If these are chosen daily habits, then one would certainly think about and praise God more throughout every day. From this seed a stronger faith should emerge.
The excercise of logging on to this site everyday has created a habit and strengthened my awareness of God each day. Perhaps, we should expand our Pastor’s request to 21 days????
As I am growing in my pursuit of the word of God, it seems to me like it is a family feast.
First I go to the store and get the ingredients. (Comparison for me is going to church and getting the word).
I get in the kitchen and get the pots and pans needed. (Getting the tools, namely my bible)
I prepare the ingredients to cook. (I get in a place when I can listen and pray. I prepare myself to hear)
The meal is cooked. We eat and are satisfied. (I study and pray and take in the love of God)
At the end of it, I have taken the time to get ready, take it in and enjoy, and then reflect on the goodness that is God.
Only God can fill our void; we crave it, but sometimes we do not know that its Him that we need. as the example of junk food was used, we try to fill the void with everything BUT what we truly need. As those things fail us and leave us even more empty, we begin the search again, and when we find God, He fills us to overflowing!! God calls us His vessels, to be filled with all of Him and shared with others. How many people can truly say that they have that type of life? one so full and rich and holy that you affect everyone around you? How many people know the wholeness of a life with God and are ready with answers for anyone who asks them where it comes from? sometimes it can be really hard to remember how much God loves us and can satisfy us with the grind of daily life wearing us down. But if we remember to spend time in His Word, in prayer and meditation, and in commune with like minded believers, i truly believe that all of us will experience that wonderful fulfillment of Jesus covering our lives and everything we do.
I have to admit, my thoughts don’t immediately focus on the Lord when I’m in my bed in the middle of the night. Maybe it’s because I don’t actually make the effort to think about him when I can’t sleep. Or when I’m awake. I know that sounds bad, but I think it does take at least a little bit of effort and deliberate action to think Godly thoughts… or to just think about God. Otherwise, what would be the significance of the verse “Take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5)? I’d love for my thoughts to always naturally center on my wonderful Savior and his love, but they just don’t. So here’s what I’ll do: Today, I endeavor to think on the Lord. I will choose to dwell on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).
Such a great reminder to strive for what really satisfies, and not to settle what will work for a little while- God- versus things of the world.
Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.” John 4:13-14
Oh God help me to come to you instead of trying to fill up and make it through on things that do not satisfy my soul!
In our busy lifestyles namely jobs and family, it is difficult to discipline ourselfs to set time aside to pray and worship our loving God. We find ourselves distracted by lifes worries and stresses, but if we put our focus on Him, those things will melt away. I agree with what Candy said, it takes preparation but in the end I can enjoy and reap the love that God so lavishly wants to bestow on us. He is so worth it!!!
I like Herb’s honesty about how we try hard to be disciplined, but eventually slip back into complacency. Sometimes when we try SO hard to be disciplined and follow God, we end up going in one of two directions, 1. Legalism, 2. Apathy. For me I personally struggle with apathy….I come to grips with my spirit and say, why don’t “I feel” anything God…where is the love, where is the passion I once had??
Really it all falls back on my selfishness and complacent attitude. I can read the Word several times a day and get nothing from it because I am comfortable with making it a routinely habit. Thus, this is the reason I don’t feel the love and the passion—I’m not marinating in the Word and letting it fill my every fiber…the true essence of the Holy Spirit in me is not being rejuvenated the way that it should….like Alan said on Sunday, you think you are eating healthy, but wait, there is still high fructose corn syrup in what you are eating.
God cleanse me from my sin of complacency….Help me to truly embrace the presence of the Holy Spirit within me.
Sherry . . . great thoughts.
The music – the energy, the love, the worship – that comes from it has become an integral part of my worship time on Sunday mornings and everyday of the week. It draws me into God. Coming from a Church of Christ background (no musical instruments), this is a big change for me. It doesn’t hurt that my man is part of that music experience!
The last few years has afforded me the time to spend daily time with God through music, Bible study, prayer, and meditation. Spending the time with Him has truly strengthened my relationship with Him. How awesome!
It seems to me like our satisfaction would only go as deep as our desire. When you are truly thirsty, parched, as the water rushes down your throat, that satisfaction is there to quench your desire for a cold drink. How deep is my desire for God, that when I finally allow myself time to drink Him in, only he is able to quench that need?
Thanks for those thoughts, Sherry.
My fleshy desires usually leave me feeling more empty, more tired, even sick. But when I reach for what I know is healthy, even if it’s not what I’m craving (this applies to both food and to spiritual disciplines), I’m always glad I did. I’m satisfied, nourished, and nurtured. This proves to me over and over again that His ways are not mine, and His are higher than mine.
Loved Jen’s thought about the depth of our desire as well.
I love Sherry, I love Alan, I love all my church family at CCC!
I’m writing from Savannah, GA where I now reside. Connecting this way is wonderful. It may not last, but for the present it has brought me SATISFACTION! I feel I have had conversations with friends.
Alan made this statement last Sunday, “My main responsibility is my personal holiness.” I’ve taken that to be MY goal for 2009. Every morning I’m spending time reading my Bible. Already I see a big difference. Tonight I will read it again. Thank you, Sherry!
Thanks Sherry but you need to get Alan off coffee as much as the corn stuff:):).
It is the great quest to be satisfied in the Lord. For him to be our all in all. That we desire nothing but him. That seems like a life long journey like a 500 pound person trying to get to 120 pounds. We do something everyday to get there.
Thanks MA for the song you referenced that was really helpful to me today, to meditate on those words. I love songs to inspire me to worship it is the music that gets me distracted.
This weekly challenge has been a good kick in my rear to become more disciplined so that I can be truly satisfied by God. My quiet time with God has to be in the morning. If I remember him on my bed in the evening, it’s only for a second as I fall asleep. Just as breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day, so should I fill my soul with God’s richness each morning.
There is no way I can get up at 4am like my husband does, but I did get up at 4:30am today. God, give me the strength and perseverance to continue this each day. I so long to draw closer to you.
In reading earlier comments, the idea of “marinating” (Kasi) in God’s Word struck me as the rough equivalent of “eating the scroll”, (digesting it), which was a directive to several of the OT prophets as well as the New Testament disciple, John, in preparation for his writing of the Book of Revelation. One might think that since we are not of that calibre, and do not have such a daunting task–there would be no need for such immersion. But the challenges which face the Church today call for no less…secularism and Islam being only two of the most obvious challenges. Another response (“drink it up”)mentioned those such “moments” of being “saturdated” in his/her life wherein “time stands still” because of the awe of knowing that one knows what God’s will in those moments! In those periods of time when I’ve done that, I’ve experienced that, and life was lived in a different dimension. Ah that those moments were the “rule”!!! If Ben’s recipe that it takes 21 days to establish a “habit” is true, why not try the suggestion made by “M” that this one week committment be extended into a 21 day committment??? Sounds like a plan!!! What say, Alan? Can we?
I Wish had something profound to write, but alas I don’t, just a confession. My life is so opposite from the Scott’s. Single, no one to take care of, very little family experiences etc. BUT, God still works in my life but I fight HIM so hard. On the days I wake up and ask God to grant me a fulfilling day, HE never fails. Sometimes I think he pushes me out of bed ?. Yet, knowing this, half the time I won’t ask HIM for his direction, I’ll just get up and do my thing. Now, that does not mean I necessarily have a bad day, but at the end of the day, it feels like “whatever.” So my challenge is to invite Him in everyday.
Sherry,
I thought and prayed about my comment,and “it” finally came to me. I was eager to hear what you had to say. Among other things, it sounds like unlike many of us, you got “it” earlier in life. I hope that your kids hold on to what you and Alan teach them. I don’t have anything Biblical to say. Just that we were all raised in a Christian home, but many of us forgot what we learned along the way. Alan: we love her, too.
Ed, thank you for your honesty. And know that you always have a family at CCC.
Sherry, thank you so much for your thoughts as well.
I know that the only times in my life when I have been truly satisfied are when I am giving God his due. His due praise, singing songs to him (alone, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s ears), talking to him in prayer, and listening for his voice reading the Bible.
And I too agree with M. We should extend this challenge to ourselves to go 21 days. I for one, don’t need Alan to challenge me publicly. I am challenging myself.
Oh yea, and I love my wife very much, too!
What a timely reminder of what I need right now in this moment!
Why do I do what I don’t want to do when I know something better is there for the choosing?
Wonderful Comments! I kinda got lost on what I was going to say. First time I’ve decided to post but thought I’d dive in!
Sherry thanks for sharing. I too am doing what I SAID I’d NEVER do. That’s why I know God is in control and has an amazing sense of HUMOR!! I went to college and during an interview I told them my plans (the panel didn’t approve, I know GOD was laughing) low and behold NONE of them have happened! I say that because I am trying to raise my children to have healthy “habits” in all aspects of their little lives showing them different paths they can take and the possible consequences. I want everyday to be a Sunday because the conseq. thus far have been happy little hearts and out of tune voices singing all the way home. The kids love to come to Church and actually get mad when we miss or visit a family members church. Everyone does worship in their own way and each has a different view of what worship is. For me I know that when I listen to a Local Christian Radio Station or my favorite CD -the live teaser from CCC (Can’t wait to buy the full version); my attitude is better and my heart is so full. I am constantly asking God questions, saying quick prayers for a person I just met or just see out of the corner of my eye. Peace over comes me! I crave to have more of that feeling. But I am now finding and have been fighting I want to read the Bible more. I’ve read it but have I read it to comprehend?? I’d say no. My children love to listen to the song Blessed be Your Name…. but they need to hear me read about the Name and see that the same joy of worshiping with music can also come from reading/studying the Bible. Does that make sense??
Thanks Alan so much for having us actually open the Bible during the service to read THE WORD with you. I can’t tell u how much I have learned from you just by doing this. –
Ok starting to ramble –forgive all of my grammatical errors. Hope I wasn’t to far off subject.
Bless, O Father, thy gifts to our use and use us to thy service; for Christ’s sake. Amen
Grace before meal – Episcopal Book of Common Prayer 1928
Edward – you are never alone. The CCC family is the best thing for support and growing that I have had in a long time. Sure, it tough being single. I ma single as well. That does not mean that we both don’t have time and resources to offer. I struggle (as I have been stating the last couple of days), the point is though that we are not alone. If we don’t hit the mark today, tomorrow we can am better. God’s love and the ability to love one another is all that we need.
Ever consider why more conservative points of view don’t make very good comedy? It’s because it’s true! It’s right! It’s noble!
All the things around us are so unsatisfying because they’re false. Nothing false can every truly satisfy the way truth can. Anyone ever find the right answer to a difficult question and keep looking? NO! It’s because we found what was needed! We have accomplished that task!
God satisfies. For all who seek fulfillment elsewhere, it’s never enough, it never fills. Seek God and seek no more. Sure, it’s difficult to maintain. What in life isn’t? It’s just that God is so one-sided in that, he is truth and right and good, and there’s no alternative to what is true and good and right, while there are a million false alternatives. But to seek a single source for our happiness in a world where you should seek a million, it’s difficult.
But it is so completely worth it. Thanks, Alan, for the five-day challenge and praise God for his voice coming louder and clearer through your lips in these past few months so much more brightly than even when you first arrived.
Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!
Eliminating high fructose corn syrup became a very real to our family a year or so ago. My mom became very allergic to corn and corn byproducts. So why is there so much high fructose corn syrup? Some say to preserve the food, to help reduce world hunger, a good thing, right? In the process we have put so much high fructose corn syrup in our food corn is quickly on the rise to being a top food allergen. Hmmm
It is so like us and our humanity to not rely on God and turn good thing bad.
Is it even possible to ever regret a moment spent in worship?
When will the Scott family hold a nutrition seminar for CCC? You could really help a lot of us!
What a gift…to be surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses who spur me on to closer relationship with my Father and Lord!
I look forward to reading everyones comments each day. For the past month I have been receiving the Feed One Another commentaries in my e-mail, but I have never responded to them until this week after Alan’s challenge last Sunday. Spending time reading the Bible and spending time on this site is like eating a good meal, healthy and satisfying. We cannot be healthy or truly satisfied without the Lord.
This site and Alan’s Sunday messages being on-line do definately reach people other than just people at Cumberland. My parents live up North and have not found a church home yet (I keep praying they will.) My mom is listening to Alan’s messages on-line and I sent her the Church at Home Four Box. My mom really enjoyed them and both my parents greatly enjoy coming to Cumberland when they visit each Spring.
I love the song that goes I want to get to the heart of worship and its all about you Jesus. It’s all about you. This has been a very interesting day God has given me. It started yesterday when someone told me that i have to read this book., The Shack. It was strange that someone the day before in this feed one another blog had mentioned the book. I told them I had heard of the book but hadn’t read it. This morning a co-worker said God had laid it on their heart to go out last night and buy the book. When they got to the store God told them to buy 2, one for me. So this morning I was given the gift of this book. As it sat on my desk I was intrigued to read it but said I would wait until this week end. On the way home I opened the book and starting reading at the red lights. I became more intrigued. By the time I got home I couldn’t put it down. By 8:00 tonight I decided that I had to put it down and come join in with the feedoneanother. Funny thing happened I couldn’t get on line. I kept trying. The phone rang and it was a Spiritual Christian friend. I told her my dilema. She told me to pray and try once more. If I still couldn’t get in maybe God wanted me to continue reading. Well as you can see it is 11:12pm and I have just finished reading 120 pages of this book. I have spent quite a time reading and crying. I had made a commitment to read and comment and this seems a strange way to do it – so late in the night. I thank and praise God that he continues to take me on this journey. Food can satisfy the body but spending time with God and feed the soul. It’s important that we receive both. Thank you God for taking me with you for showing me things I was having trouble seeing and feeding me with your word and with understanding. As Sherry said, “We encourage each other to think of the God moments of the day and let those be the thoughts of our night.”
As I reflect on Psalm 63:5-6 thinking about the richest of foods, I am asking myself, “Do I satisfy my soul with spiritual food that is less than the “rishest of foods?”" Do I allow simply reading a passage in scripture to substitute for true meditation on the word of God?
“God, please help me to be satisfied with nothing less than the rishest of foods in my spiritual walk with you each and every day, moment by moment. Help my last thoughts at night be on the richest of foods.”
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