Wed Devo

Struggling to be Satisfied with all God is for us in Jesus Psalm 73:25,26—Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. “Every one of us is, even from his mother's womb, a master craftsman of idols.”—John Calvin I am convinced that it is the “good things” in life that keep us from knowing the great things. Television in and of itself is not a bad thing, but it often keeps me from the kind of relationship with my wife that would be far more satisfying than “Everybody loves Raymond.” Family is a great gift that God has given to some of us, but even the “good” that family can bring, if held higher than our Lord, is keeping us from the “great” that he has prepared for us. In C.S. Lewis’ sermon “The weight of Glory” he says, “If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. I have written a song entitled “Not so easily Pleased” as an encouragement and challenge to myself and all who listen to daily strive to not be satisfied with the fleeting pleasures of this world. Honestly, most of the time, I am too easily pleased. But if we will taste and see that the lord is good, then we will want to savor all that He is for us in Jesus. Sin has so affected our thoughts, wills, and desires that it is a battle to be satisfied with Christ. As long as we are sinners, we will have this struggle. But in the times when those desires for “good” things are defeated and we truly desire the “great” thing (God), at that moment we know that this is what we were created for. This is all you could ever want. This is all you could ever need. David wrote in Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Being in God’s word and spending time in worship whether corporate or personal, is the only time that I can honestly say I have found “fullness of joy”. I challenge you to not be so easily pleased and not settle for “good things”. Do not settle for mud pies when a holiday at the sea is offered those who repent and believe. We are wired for pleasure. That may sound unspiritual but that is the truth. None of us can honestly say, “I hate having a good time.” Or, “I sure do wish it would rain today so that we don’t enjoy playing golf.” The fact of the matter is we are wired for enjoyment. We surround ourselves with things we enjoy. I really enjoy reading. I have books in my office; books at home, and sometimes even carry books with me when I go places just in case I find a free moment to read. I enjoy it! I don’t hate it! So instead of trying to stifle my pleasure driven ways, why not direct them toward the one who by his side are “pleasure forevermore”. What greater way could I show my love for God than by enjoying being with him? I married my wife because I love her and enjoy being around her more than anybody. If I tell her that is she going to respond, “Josh, you are so selfish! It’s all about you!” She would like nothing more than to hear that. How much more would our Lord like for us to feel that way about him? Once again, we get the benefits, he gets the glory. Praise God for wiring you in a way that we can enjoy him forevermore!