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God Satisfies the Soul
Andrea Lende • August 23, 2021
Psalm 107:8-9
God Satisfies the Soul
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/God-Satisfies-the-Soul-e16bop0
Psalm 107:8-9
“Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!”
“For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good.”
Well, I could just leave it right there.
These two verses say it all, really.
God is the only One Who can satisfy.
We try to conquer this life as if we would slay a dragon.
We put the armor on, don the sword, and proceed into battle.
And sometimes for the smallest and silliest things.
A promotion at work.
A better job.
A higher rank in an organization we belong to, and there are many.
From small clubs to international organizations.
We strive to be the best in whatever place we find ourselves in.
Rise to the occasion.
Rise to the top.
At least I have attempted this most of my life.
And I’ve seen a lot of others with that conquering look in their eyes.
Frankly, I’ve grown weary of the race which leads to nowhere.
Our verses today clearly tell us that God is It.
There is nothing more.
Worshiping the Lord is the reason for our existence.
And praising Him is medicine to our souls.
As we praise Him for His goodness, our hearts receive His goodness.
As we praise Him for His loving-kindness, our hearts receive His loving-kindness.
As we praise Him for His wonderful works, we receive those too.
All the while He is satisfying our soul.
We may not have everything we think we want in life, but everything we want in life is found in Him.
Without Him, I am nothing and can do nothing – at least nothing worthwhile.
But as I praise Him and require His presence in my life, I have everything.
I lack nothing in His presence.
Today I choose to praise the Lord for all He is and all He will be, and my soul is refreshed and renewed in Him.
May you find the Lord is more than sufficient for you and He satisfies your every need and longing.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me You are all I need. Thank You for reminding me that when I praise You my heart is lifted into Your presence. Thank You for reminding me You satisfy my soul in every way. You set a feast before me as I sit with You. You give to me abundantly and bless my soul. Thank You for lifting me out of the muck and into Your glory. I don’t deserve Your love and yet You offer it freely. You love me beyond all my faults and short comings. And Your love transcends the hatred and divisiveness of this world. Help me love as You do, Father. Help me love those who are kind and those who are not for all have been made by Your hand. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I love you My child and desire relationship with you and all My people. Put your faith in Me.
Response: Undeservedly loved by You, Father, thank You for choosing me to know You.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.