Disillusioned. Hopes crushed. What I thought would bring deep happiness left me disheartened, disappointed, and empty.
This describes several “low” points in my life.
I see now how I’d set my affections on God’s benefits rather than on God Himself. But now I see these hard times as severe mercies. Each disappointment further dislodging my entrenched disillusionment that the things of this world, even the finer ones, could bring me the deep fulfillment and joy I longed for.
What every human must come to realize is that only God Himself brings us the lasting satisfaction we all so desperately need.
From time to time, I still struggle. I put feeling good and having worldly peace above God Himself. But more and more, these struggles are short-lived. God is awakening me and bringing me back to the knowledge that NOTHING fully satisfies me but HIM.
The Heart of the Matter
Baked into the heart of every human is the unaltered desire to find a lasting joy to satisfy our empty souls. This longing, this need for satisfaction, is so strong most never give up the quest. The problem is that we so often look for satisfaction in all the wrong places.
The Rolling Stones sung about the futile attempt to find lasting satisfaction when looking in the wrong places.
I can’t get no satisfactionI can’t get no satisfactionGonna try and I try and I try and I tryI can’t get no –I can’t get no – [2]
King Solomon tried all manner of worldly delights to satisfy his emptiness. [3] Denying himself nothing he saw around him, he concluded that it was all “vanity and striving after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 2:11b
Trying everything, but failing to find joy, Solomon was left hopeless and despondent. “I hated life, for the work which has been done under the sun was grievous to me, because everything is futility and striving after wind.” Ecclesiastes 2:17
He would later conclude that God has set eternity in the hearts of men. [4] Solomon had the means to attempt anything the world had to offer to fill his need for satisfaction. None of it worked. At the end of his search, he hated life because he recognized the utter futility of trying to fill the eternal hole in his heart with anything around him.
God designed our hearts for joy. We’re to be fulfilled by God Himself, fullness of all joy [5], not in having a better life.
Until we realize genuine joy and fulfillment comes from God Himself, our lives will be endless pursuits of fleeting, temporal, pleasure which lead only to idols and addictions.
We must all ask ourselves: What is our treasure?
Is there something we’re looking forward to, or hoping for, which we believe will finally bring fulfillment and lasting happiness?
- Completing college?
- Getting married?
- Buying a house?
- Getting out of debt?
- Getting promoted at work?
- Having children?
- Starting a business?
- Publishing a book?
- Having good health?
- Having grandchildren?
- Retiring?
- Winning the lottery?
These can be good things, but will they provide lasting fulfillment?
Desiring happiness is not a bad thing, but true joy is a byproduct of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It’s built into us by our Intelligent Designer, God Himself.
But how can we walk in a growing awareness that God Himself is our Highest Joy when the world, the flesh, and the devil are all working overtime to convince us otherwise?
Awakened
Let’s consider the following verse from Psalm 37 written by David as an old man. [6]
Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
Said a different way, if we seek God as our delight, our longing hearts will be satisfied. – Wisdom from an aged man.
We see this amazing truth other places in Scripture as well:
God Himself is our glorious reward. Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward (Genesis 15:1b NIV).
We fully experience joy when we are in the presence of God. In Your presence is fullness of joy; (Psalm 16:11b)
Jesus satisfies our deep hunger and thirst. I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger and he who believes in me will never thirst (John 6:35).
If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’ (John 7:37b-38).
Chew on these and other truths from Scripture, which tell us God Himself will fill us to overflowing with lasting satisfaction. Ask Him to make these words come alive in your heart so that they will progressively govern how you live each moment.
Prayer
Lord, it’s so amazing that You created me for fellowship with You. It’s profoundly simple that the key to life is being with You. Yet it’s also so difficult when my heart drifts to what I see around me.
But You are showing me more and more, in the depths of my soul, how complete I am in You. I can now rest and enjoy who You are, no matter what I face. Thank You for the loving way You show me when I stray – tenderly pointing me back to You.
By Your Spirit, please keep me on the path of seeking You as my Treasure every moment of every day.
Amen.
Reflections
Where are we headed? What’s our aim? What motivates our heart as our treasure?
We long for our lives to go smoothly. We want our bills paid, good health, reliable belongings, and harmony with those who matter most. These are fantastic things, though we have to take the following into account.
These desires for our circumstances to go smoothly rarely turn out as we hope.
And, even if they did, our hearts long for something far deeper.
Let’s recognize now that God Himself is Who we’ve been searching for all our lives. He’s our Reward, our Pearl of Great Price, the Bread of Life, our Rivers of Living water filling and refreshing our souls to overflowing.
We need to believe this and ask God to continually point us to the reality that He’s our Highest Joy.
When we long for lesser treasures, may we quickly become aware, acknowledge it, confess it, and turn our hearts back to seeking Him above all else.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
[1] I first heard this term from a book entitled A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken
[2] (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – Song by the Rolling Stones
[3] Ecclesiastes 2:1-10
[4] Ecclesiastes 3:11
[5] Psalm 16:11b
[6] Psalm 37:25
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Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
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Note: Unless otherwise noted, all referenced Scripture is from the NASB 1995 Version of the Bible.
Other posts in our Everlasting Way Series:
Learning How to Overcome Emotional Numbness
Are we More Like Batman or Spider-Man
Transforming Awareness: The Power of God’s Love
Celebrating with Joy – In Memory of a Friend
Loving without Expecting Anything in Return
Like a Child: The Way Back to Wonder
Nonfiction books by the Author:
This collection of devotionals chronicles a heartfelt journey from a life of striving and self-reliance to one of growing surrender and trust in God.
Through personal stories of family struggles, cancer, grief, and unexpected trials, the devotions show that true, unshakeable joy comes not from perfect circumstances, but from the constant, loving presence of Jesus Christ.
It’s an invitation to learn to let go of our burdens and find growing peace in God’s greater story.
Because joy is rooted in God and is eternal, it doesn’t ebb and flow with the waves of circumstances. In fact, as we grow in our understanding of joy, we can even experience it more acutely when life is hard. Why? Because God uses trials to conform us into the image of Christ. With this awareness, which gives us glimpses of God’s greater purposes, we rejoice because of His masterful work to free us from needing anything but Him.
For these reasons, and many others, joy in the Lord is commanded in scripture. It’s not just a good idea, it’s vital to our journey as human beings. Rhythms of Joy
Novels by the Author:
What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time
By finding two undelivered letters in an old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowingly set off a series of events which uncovers a plot to wipe out a whole family. Hope Remains
Please Check out the Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.