We live in a world that teaches us that we should never be satisfied. Regardless of how much money you make, you should always be on a quest to make more. If you live in a big home, you should try to find a bigger one. If you have a new car, you should try to afford a newer one. Everything we do is done in the name of finding satisfaction. However, as God’s people we understand that our satisfaction doesn’t come from what we have, but rather Who we know.
We live in a society that tells us that we should never be satisfied. While there is certainly nothing wrong with ambition, or having goals, dreams, and aspiration, it’s important that we keep those things in proper perspective and understand why we’re continuing to pursue more. Trying to strike the balance between being ambitious and being satisfied is difficult. However, one of the best ways to ensure that we’re striking that balance is by remembering that God is our true source of satisfaction.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, “satisfaction” is defined as “fulfillment of one’s wishes, expectations, and needs.” As children of God, we understand that our wishes, expectations, and needs, are found in our relationship with Him.
David was a man who understood the search for satisfaction. There were times where David got it right and sought his satisfaction through the things that God had to offer him. However, there were other times where David got it wrong and tried to find his contentment and satisfaction through personal pleasures, pride, and other natural means.
Today, we’re going to take a look into a Psalm that David wrote so we can understand the different areas of satisfaction, and how we can find our true satisfaction in our relationship with Christ. This Psalm was penned during a particularly painful period in David’s life. David had been chosen by God to be the new King over Israel, but King Saul was still alive, incredibly jealous, and determined to kill young David. Filled with fear and caught in the middle of the life he knew and the life that God had called him to, David was undoubtedly dissatisfied by his situation. In the 63rd Psalm, David addressed his desire, delight and defense. Those three things were at the root of David’s satisfaction, and they’re at the foundation of ours as well.
David’s Desire
Psalm 63:1-4 (NIV)
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
In these verses, David compared his physical location to his spiritual condition. He was exiled in the wilderness of Judea because he knew that Saul wouldn’t come there looking for him. While the wilderness provided some safety from the person who was trying to kill him, David experienced the thirst and other issues caused by the wilderness that come from living in the desert. Faced with the extreme heat and dryness of the wilderness, David quickly saw the similarities between what he was feeling in the physical and what he was facing in the spiritual.
David saying, “I thirst for you,” paints a beautiful picture of a man who knew that his ultimate satisfaction would come from God’s presence. Being satisfied is largely about the things that you desire, and David understood the importance of desiring God, even when he had pressing physical needs in his life.
One of the most important aspects of finding true satisfaction is ensuring that God’s presence is the most important thing in your life. He has promised that if we truly seek His presence, He will be found with us. If you truly hunger and thirst after righteousness, you will be filled (Matthew 5:6). If you’re looking for satisfaction, set your desires on the things of God.
David’s Delight
Psalm 63:5-7 (NIV)
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
If you remember the definition of “satisfaction” that we discussed earlier, you’ll recall that the “fulfillment of one’s wishes” was a part of that definition. Ultimately, our satisfaction is largely rooted in what we want. What really matters to you? If you were given the time to sit down and write down the five things in your life that you really, truly want, what would they be? If we’re being honest, most of our lists would include things like higher paying jobs, bigger houses, a new car, a good college education for our children, and other things that could be bought if we had more money in the bank account and fewer bills.
Once again, David drew a comparison between what he was lacking in the physical and what was important in his spiritual life. While David was exiled in the wilderness, it’s safe to assume that food was scarce. If you’ve ever watched a wilderness survival show, you’ve probably seen the survivalists trying to secure water and food.
David knew that his true delight wasn’t found in the things of this world. This man, who was probably hunting for food said that he would be as satisfied by the memory of the things that God had done for him as he would be by the “richest of foods.”
When you find your delight in your relationship with God, you don’t have to worry about being dissatisfied by the things going on around you. Instead, you know that you’re satisfied because of who God is.
David’s Defense
Palm 63:8-11 (NIV)
I clint to you; your right hand upholds me. Those who want to kill me will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
Finally, David realized that the wilderness was only part of his problem. In his heart, he knew that he had been anointed to be the King over God’s people, but there was still a King who was occupying the throne. In addition to surviving the wilderness that he was living in, David knew he was also facing a king who not only wanted him dead but had made multiple attempts on his life already. However, David knew that he could experience true satisfaction because God was his source of defense.
One of the biggest threats to satisfaction is fear. When we’re afraid, it’s almost impossible to be truly satisfied. However, we don’t have to live in constant fear because we know that we have a Defender. The same God who had promised to protect David has promised to protect you.
The next time that you’re feeling like satisfaction is unattainable, take some time to remember that the same God who was the source of David’s satisfaction is the source of yours. He has promised to care for you, meet your needs, and be your satisfaction.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to be mindful of the fact that my true satisfaction can only be found in You. I know that You are my desire, my delight, and my defense. When the world tells me that I shouldn’t be satisfied, help me to remember that all of my true satisfaction is found in the love that You have shown me. I am thankful for every good thing in my life, and I know that all of them come from You. I thank You and ask all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.