Satisfaction Guaranteed!
Where are you in your walk with the Lord? Are you in the beginning stage and your relationship with Him is like newfound love and everything seems perfect? Or are you in the throes of a hardship and can't seem to hear God, though you know from past experiences He's with you?
If you can relate to either question trust me, so can I.
Several years ago I regularly struggled with discontentment. I was so disheartened by what I considered a spiritual problem that I spent hours seeking God for an answer--and relief! I would pray in my car, in the office, at my daughter’s cheerleading practice, everywhere. But nothing changed.
The uneasiness I sensed was the last thing on my mind when I went to bed at night and the first thing to flood my thoughts when I awoke the next day. I started to concede defeat and remain unhappy when God spoke to me through His Word.
“For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with good things” (Ps. 107:9, NKJV).
At that moment I knew what God meant. I had experienced many highs in my walk with the Lord. I was used to the Father blessing me every time I sought His hand, so I became relaxed in my relationship with Him. But God wanted more, so He started prodding and creating in me dissatisfaction for “business as usual” as a Christian.
As I write this blog, I cannot adequately describe what God did for me during that season of my life, but I can say I learned never to take His goodness, favor and presence for granted. Yes, God blesses us with earthly blessings, but He is the only person who can satisfy that deep yearning we have for Him. In fact, it is He who creates it.
So no matter where you are in your walk with the Lord, whether on the mountaintop of life or in the valley of hardships, stay close to Him and seek His face. He will respond. I guarantee you!
Valerie Lowe is editor of spiritledwoman.com.
If you can relate to either question trust me, so can I.
Several years ago I regularly struggled with discontentment. I was so disheartened by what I considered a spiritual problem that I spent hours seeking God for an answer--and relief! I would pray in my car, in the office, at my daughter’s cheerleading practice, everywhere. But nothing changed.
The uneasiness I sensed was the last thing on my mind when I went to bed at night and the first thing to flood my thoughts when I awoke the next day. I started to concede defeat and remain unhappy when God spoke to me through His Word.
“For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with good things” (Ps. 107:9, NKJV).
At that moment I knew what God meant. I had experienced many highs in my walk with the Lord. I was used to the Father blessing me every time I sought His hand, so I became relaxed in my relationship with Him. But God wanted more, so He started prodding and creating in me dissatisfaction for “business as usual” as a Christian.
As I write this blog, I cannot adequately describe what God did for me during that season of my life, but I can say I learned never to take His goodness, favor and presence for granted. Yes, God blesses us with earthly blessings, but He is the only person who can satisfy that deep yearning we have for Him. In fact, it is He who creates it.
So no matter where you are in your walk with the Lord, whether on the mountaintop of life or in the valley of hardships, stay close to Him and seek His face. He will respond. I guarantee you!
Valerie Lowe is editor of spiritledwoman.com.
posted by Felicia Mann at
7:16 AM
13 Comments:
wI had been experiencing the "low" that you described here and I even had the nerve to say "oh well, I might as well just die, i'm going to Heaven anyway". I'm only 29 years old and I almost gave up. I had been battling an illness that no one could seem to figure out. With that illness, came another, then another then anxiety and depression. I was a mess. I was barely functioning. Through it all I prayed day and night for 6 months and it was not until recently that I finally figured out that God was getting my attention and taking me to a higher place in him. I began to lift up others in prayer, even people I did not know.Then I watched him work for them and they don't even know it. I am so much stronger and wiser and unselfish. This experience -which was only 2 months ago- has changed my life for the better. The anxiety and depression is gone but the gift of intercessory is here to stay. God is so AWESOME!!
I don't know exactly where I am in my walk with God; but I have discovered that He is truly my friend, and that He is really with me ALL the time, even when I treat Him as if He wasn't. He's always here!!!! Oh, I am loving Him more and more each day...even when I am discontented and grouchy...He is here ....wow!!!
This article was inspiring. But what do you do when you are seeking God, asking him for wisdom and direction concerning your circumstance and God seems to be quiet. I continue to pray, read his word, remind myself of his promises, but still no direction or revelation concerning the circumstance that has me troubled. I know he hears me, I know God is faithful, but why is he so quiet. I know the storm that I'm going through will pass, I guess it's just difficult to see the end result of my storm as I'm going through it. I will continue to seek God and praise him because he is worthy of all my praise. He has done so much for me, I know he hasn't left me now. I guess I just needed to remind myself of God's faithfulness.
Be Blessed!
L.W.
I am currently at a crossroad in mylife as well. I know his grace and favor from past and present, however I seem to be yearning for somethng more. My life feels empty. As I type these very words I think to myself, "how could this be?". I am a wife, daughter, sister, friend, employee, and active church member. I am worn out at the end of my day but yet I still feel there is something missing from my life. I like where I am with my spirtual relationship, I feel closer to Jesus now than ever before. I have a desire to do all I can for the glorification of his kingdom.
I am just going thru a place where I don't know what to do/ and I can relate to the author/ so I'll just pray and seek the Lord on what He has for me. Maybe I feel as I do because I have in the church for awhile and I'm just lonely and I have only lived in Georgia for a year/ I know god knows what is best, so I will be still and wait on Him.
I am also at a place in my life where I 'm not sure what I am suppose to be doing/ I am new in Georgia and attending a new church, which is connected with my church back home,yet I'm not feeling connected with this church and I have attended for a whole year/And I have been seeking God on what I am suppose to do, yet I believe I am to be still and pray.
the way I feel right now in my Christian walk is as if I am in a a relationship, where the otherside is not interested at-all,but I still can't break the relationship cause that is the best I got.I feel so empty,so sad, so hurt. and the hurting won't go. I know I should be satisfied, my sons are living and healthy, if I can call (1)obese healthy and 2 also hurting people well.atleast I have children who are doing ok. But like right now, I am sitting alone at home , just me and my pc, writing my problems to people I never met. Cause that is all I got. I can't stop my sons from living their lives. they are adults.And asking why isn't God hearing me. How much longer ? Or is it me who can't see the blessings. And I get angry with everyone , and everything. I just sit here and cry
How can one praise God, when I will use my salary as example, but mean my whole life with it.
I use to make $ 79,= , PLUS BONUSES a day. Now I sell one shave ice, for $o,55 the mast is $3,30 that is without gain or $ 20,= A MONTH. I am talking about what I can do for myself. And that is what my life is also like. Or can't I see . Even my faith is on the downlow, my spiritual life etc. I pray, I read the bible and try to live the best I can. The worse things get , the more I say, It's not worth it. Cause gave my life to Christ , and God don't want me .Right I see God is like my ex-husband.I gave them all I got, and they returned it with a big kick.I still love them ,but they don't love me .
As I read this editorial, I look over my spiritual life for the past six years and come to understand that Lord is supreme in our walk with him. He gives us our storms and trials to pass and know that he loves us as we come through as pure gold. You must always seek his face and presence. His love is above none other. J. Cuff
Praise God for His Word! He satisfies the "hungry" soul with good things.
This really spoke to me today as I read your blog. If we are not hungry for Him, we do not receive the "satisfaction" of God's good things. We may receive things, but they may not be God's best for us.
I liken it to not being physically hungry and yet searching for something to eat. Why? The yearning or craving is coming from a spiritual lack in the heart. We turn to anything that will please our fleshly desires for consolation or love. However, if we are truly hungry, God will give us His good things to eat. We will most certainly be blessed with satisfaction and good for our physical needs.
So, sometimes God brings us through the valleys in order for us to seek Him and His deliverance. He will satisfy us with good when we truly seek it. Half-hearted desires pouring out of a lukewarm life for God not only will not get His attention, but it will never cause us to experience a river of living water pouring out to others in need.
The question remains: How genuine is our hunger for God?
I am so taken aback to know that so many others are experiencing and feeling the same thing that I am. My trial began around my 40th birthday I later found out that 40 is the number of judgment and testing. I just marked my 51st birthday and I'm still not quite over the struggle though I'm much better than I was. I went from the highest mountain of my life in Christ to the lowest valley that I have ever known within a years time. I felt like Elijah after his victory at Mt. Carmel. For the longest time I was passed out flat on my back on the floor. Somehow I found the strength to roll over to a prostrate position. A little later I was able to sit up on the floor and now I think I'm back to a kneeling position -- but it's still not what it used to be. Even just this morning I prayed for the umpteenth hundred time "lead me to the rock that is higher than I (Psl. 61:2)" I miss the joy and intimacy I used to know but I'm not going anywhere -- He alone has the words of life (John 6:68) If you feel me sotlm@att.net
Do we REALLY believe that nothing satisfies us like God? I thought I did until I went through a real trying time recently in my walk with God. I've experienced highs and lows but God allowed me just enough distance to see there's no substitute! How we long for Him when even think He's not near... When we TRULY believe..He satisfies our soul!
Like many of you here, I too am in the throes (not "throws") of hardship myself right now. I could list all that is going on, from the accidental death of my daughter Lora 9 years ago to my husband's problems with alcohol and many other things in between... but in all honesty, my troubles are no different or worse than anyone else's here. Like some of you, I have felt abandoned by the Lord. But I keep reminding myself of our brothers & sisters in Christ in other parts of the world, who suffer daily for simply belonging to our Jesus... surely we are no better than they? God is no respecter of persons, so if they suffer such cruelty and tortures...who am I to say my life should be pain-free?
What I have concluded since my daughter's death is that this life is a proving ground--a sort of spiritual "boot camp" where we are all allowed to be tested and tried, to see what we are made of, how we will respond, Whom we will serve--God, or ourselves.
As long as we continue to do what we know to do (from God's Word), stand firm and never give up our commitment to Him, we defeat satan in our lives. Sure, he might win a battle or two along the way, and we might suffer devastating injury--but The War in our life is already won if we don't become deserters.
Hold on, dear sisters. There IS a heaven--but this isn't it, and it was never supposed to be. There IS a God, and you (and me) aren't Him. Trust me, I do understand the struggle, the doubts, and the questions. When a battle rages in my mind, I try to cling to His words, "Be STILL and KNOW that *I* am God."
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