I came to a horrible realization today, over the past few weeks I haven’t been completely honest with myself. I have gone through this period of time telling myself (and others) that I have come to a place of satisfaction. I have been telling myself that I have come to a place where I was satisfied with just about everything except my relationship with God. I was propagating the lie to myself that there was nothing else my heart desired but to draw closer to God and commune with Him.
That all came to a screeching halt this afternoon. I was walking back to my dorm after lunch when it all hit me. I was thinking about something, growing anxious over the possibility of something not happening. Right then and there I realized that I wasn’t satisfied. I was desiring more than what God had given, and even more horrible, I was desiring more than God. I can no longer lie… I am not satisfied.
It is not that I am lacking what I need for satisfaction, for Christ can only truly satisfy. It is only Him that can fulfill every longing of the redeemed heart. Yet, I am not clinging to Him. I am not resting in who He is and what He has and will do.
In John 4 Jesus makes a statement to the woman at the well. He says that whoever would drink of the water that He would give would never thirst again. Jesus promised to fulfill her longing… He promised to satisfy. Was it that He promised to give her everything she desired and never allow her to lack? Not at all. Jesus was simply stating that He was all that she would ever need and in Him was true satisfaction found.
How I need to see only Him. I need to focus on Him for my satisfaction. It is only Him that can make me Complete.
Complete in Thee! no work of mine
May take, dear Lord, the place of Thine;
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
And I am now complete in Thee.
Refrain:
Yea, justified! O blessed thought!
And sanctified! Salvation wrought!
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
And glorified, I too, shall be!
Complete in Thee! no more shall sin,
Thy grace hath conquered, reign within;
Thy voice shall bid the tempter flee,
And I shall stand complete in Thee.
Complete in Thee— each want supplied,
And no good thing to me denied;
Since Thou my portion, Lord, wilt be,
I ask no more, complete in Thee.
Dear Saviour! when before Thy bar
All tribes and tongues assembled are,
Among Thy chosen will I be,
At Thy right hand, complete in Thee.
Filed under: Song...
As pants the hart for cooling streams,
When heated in the chase;
So longs my soul, Oh God, for Thee,
And Thy refreshing grace.
Oh, for converting grace, and oh,
For sanctifying pow’r;
Lord, we ask in Jesus’ name,
A sweet, refreshing show’r.
For Thee, my God, the living God,
My thirsty soul doth repine;
Oh, when shall I behold Thy face,
Thy majesty divine?
Why restless, why cast down, my soul?
Hope still; and thou shalt sing
Praise of Him who is thy God,
Thy health’s eternal spring.
by Tate and Brady’s New Version
Filed under: Song...
I will glory in my Redeemer
Whose priceless blood has ransomed me
Mine was the sin that drove the bitter nails
And hung Him on that judgment tree
I will glory in my Redeemer
Who crushed the power of sin and death
My only Savior before the Holy Judge
The Lamb Who is my righteousness
The Lamb Who is my righteousness
I will glory in my Redeemer
My life He bought, my love He owns
I have no longings for another
I’m satisfied in Him alone
I will glory in my Redeemer
His faithfulness my standing place
Though foes are mighty and rush upon me
My feet are firm, held by His grace
My feet are firm, held by His grace
I will glory in my Redeemer
Who carries me on eagle’s wings
He crowns my life with lovingkindness
His triumph song I’ll ever sing
I will glory in my Redeemer
Who waits for me at gates of gold
And when He calls me it will be paradise
His face forever to behold
His face forever to behold
His face forever to behold
by Steve and Vikki Cook
Filed under: Personal Lessons...
Okay, so this one has been getting thrown around inside my head for the past two days now. On Sunday I had the chance to visit a church that has been recently planted and is being Pastored by a teacher at school who I very highly respect. This is something that I have desired to do for a very long time but due to previous responsibilities haven’t been able to go. So, when I realized that this would be the one week that I would be able to go I was very excited.
I woke up that morning, jumped in my truck with my friend, and took off. Needless to say, it is kinda awkward to visit a new church up here in the North Woods. Most are small and I never really enjoy taking someone else’s pew. This put inside of me the slight anxiety which I very often prone to. Thankfully, after we arrived at the church, this anxiety soon dissipated.
The service went very well and I receivd a blessing from the preaching of God’s Word and the songs that were sung to his Praise and Glory, but the biggest thing happened after the service. Unbeknown upon our initial arrival the church had a Baptismal service planned out by the lake. So, seeing that this would be my first outdoor Baptismal service, we jumped at the opportunity.
It was amazing to hear all 15 of those getting baptized share their story. Some were kids who came to Christ at an early age, others were saved out of a life of sin and tradition, but all were sharing the amazing grace and mercy that could only come through the death of Christ.
Needless to say, I left with a full heart. There is something about a Baptism out in public. It seems so real, so open, so…Biblical. Thy were all declaring to the congregation and those who came because of the crowd that gathered that they were willing to forsake all and follow Christ. God is very Good…
Psalms 22:1-31 ~ My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. 5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. 7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. 9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. 10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. 11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. 13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. 18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. 19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. 20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. 21 Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. 22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. 24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. 25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. 26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. 27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 28 For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations. 29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. 30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. 31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
For the past few days, after I read my normal Bible reading my heart is drawn back to Psalm 22. The Psalmest handles the death of the Messiah in such a way that one’s heart nearly hurts when reading of the suffering. It helps my mind and heart to focus on why I am here and for who I am living.
Filed under: Song...
How happy’s ev’ry child of grace,
Who feels his sins forgiv’n;
This world, he cries, is not my place;
I seek a place in heav’n.
A country far from mortal sight,
Yet, oh! by faith I see
The land of rest, the saints’ delight,
A heav’n prepared for me.
Oh, what a blessed hope is ours
While here on earth we stay,
We more than taste the heav’nly pow’rs
And antedate that day.
We feel the resurrection near,
Our life in Christ concealed,
And with His glorious presence here
Our earthen vessels filled.
by Charles Wesley
I worked at camp this summer and because of that I was able to meet a lot of interesting guys. One of them in particular was on the odd side – he actually enjoyed running. He not only enjoyed to run, but he would push himself to see how far he could go and how fast he could do it. Most guys came to camp to socialize, sleep, play the games, but he was satisfied with going out and running every day.
Since it was evident that this was something that he liked, it gave me something to talk to him about. One of my first questions was why he enjoyed it so much. I really was not prepared for what he was going to say and the application it carried. You see, after explaining how he started and some of the races he ran, he explained to me that he loved running so much because it was not a skill or a talent that some were blessed with and some were not, but it was a matter of discipline and endurance.
Step back and think about that. We are called to “run our race” as Christians. And, exactly like running for sport, the Christian race is not a skill or talent that some have been given but a matter of discipline. We cannot look around at all the “spiritual giants” and think that they have some special gift from God that enables them to live their life, but that if they are truly “spiritual” it is a result of personal discipline and endurance.
I have no idea if this is coming across in the manner that it first hit me, but it had a deep impact. Just one of the many things I walked away from camp with…
I Peter 2:2 ~ “Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk…”
Though I am not yet a Father, nor will I be for a very long time, this verse speaks volumes to me. I have spent sometime around newborns and there is one thing that can be said – they need their food. They don’t only need their food, but they desire it. They long to have their appetite satisfied and cry in order to be filled.
This is supposed to be us. We, like this newborn, are to desire the Word of God. We are to long to be satisfied by the pure, spiritual milk that only comes from the Scriptures. This is our food. It is the only way we can survive in the World that we live. We so often try to substitute the pure milk for the spiritually unhealthy garbage that this World has to offer, but nothing else will satisfy. We need our spiritual milk.
When was the last time we long like a newborn. When was the last time we cried to be fed. May God’s word be our milk and our desire be so strong.
Filed under: Song...
Oh, when will the period appear,
When I shall unite in your song?
I’m weary of lingering here,
And I to your Savior belong.
I’m fettered and chained up in clay;
I struggle and pant to be free:
I long to be soaring away,
My God and my Savior to see.
by Maria DeFleury
Filed under: Song...
Behold the Savior of mankind
Nailed to the shameful tree!
How vast the love that Him inclined,
To bleed and die for thee.
Hark, how He groans! while nature shakes,
And earth’s strong pillars bend!
The temple’s veil in sunder breaks,
The solid marbles rend.
’Tis done! the precious ransom’s paid!
Receive my soul, He cries:
See where He bows His sacred head!
He bows His head and dies.
But soon He’ll break death’s anxious chain,
And in full glory shine!
Oh Lamb of God, was ever pain,
Was ever love like Thine?
by Samuel Wesley, Sr.
