The search for satisfaction
An invitation to flee from the ache has been extended
I woke with a thought on my mind — anything of earthly origin will be governed by the law of diminishing returns.
For I fear this is the pandemic we face. We are part of a generation who pursues happiness at all costs, yet lives constantly unsettled. We are willing to minimize, rearrange, self-help, medicate, entertain, redefine, relocate…all in search of a remedy for the aching dissatisfaction.
Would you allow me a few minutes of your time to explain?
—
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy, and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.” Is. 55:1-2
Anything of earthly origin will be governed by the law of diminishing returns.
These are by nature perishing, and therefore any quality they can bestow becomes a perishing rather than a preserving or sustaining one. This is the difference between temporal and eternal. When we partake of the temporal, we partake of something which cannot deeply and without measure satisfy. It will go so far and no further. It provides a return, certainly, serves a purpose, delivers a result, but always with limits, not never ending, and thus diminishing.
Such will be the fate of those who seek their solace in the arms of another, who make wealth their ambition, who idolize family, who feed themselves from the feast of men’s praise and drink from the pool of power. In a moment, quenching, but always remaining thirsty. These are those who get it all, take their fill, and yet when asked about contentment, joy, and inner peace, their eyes shine hollow.
How can we who have the first fruits of the river of living water look on those shining hollow and be jealous? Any such gain they may possess will be fleeting, gone as quickly as gotten. Then what will they do, where will they go? Blessed be to God, and does not your heart ring out in praise that you have an answer to that question for yourself?
“I went to the sanctuary of God, then I understood their end.”
”Fo lo, they that are far from Thee shall perish: Thou hast destroyed all those that go a whoring from Thee.”
”But it is good for me to draw near to God. I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Thy works.” Ps. 73:17, 27-18
Remember then. When God was real to you.
When His voice cut through the clutter. Remember back to the time before His word became “irrelevant,” “confusing,” and “secondary.” Remember when no sacrifice was too great for Him, and how all costs paled in comparison to His love and glory.
Remember when you saw Him, not with your earthly eyes of course, but with the eyes of your heart. There He was. Standing in front of you. His gaze upon you and you felt instantly that you must hide, but you could not, for there was nowhere to go.
Remember the feeling from this moment - how terrible and wonderful that gaze was. I implore you - remember! Because I fear many of us have forgotten. I implore all of us today - remember! Not so we may be consumed in despair by how far we have grown apart from Him, but so that we may return, take, drink, and live.
Therefore today let us pray:
Give us appetites for the eternal;
Grant us an audience with Thee.
The banquets of Christ stand ready;
For all who will come, buy, eat.
In love,
Derek
P.S. You can find more short devotional thoughts here.