The Satisfaction of the Soul
As Solomon searched out the meaning of life on earth and what brought fulfillment in life, he discovered an important truth. None of the things for which we labor bring satisfaction to the soul.(Ecclesiastes 6:7) He gave himself to riches, pleasure, and whatever he could find to experience. He did not leave anything out, but none of them brought spiritual satisfaction. What does that tell us?
We do not work to satisfy our souls, we sit before God. It is not by activity, but by our relationship with God. That is why he exhorts us to fear God, which means to worship Him and obey. However, even in obedience we are not working to satisfy our souls. It is trusting God and through that trust we come to know Him more intimately. Then, our souls are satisfied.
We drink in the Word of God to satisfy our souls. It is our spiritual food. It shows us what our soul is longing for. It directs us to the solutions for life. Without the Word our souls will be hungry continually. Jesus told us that we do not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
We breathe spiritually as we pray. We express our soul's desires to the Lord and our needs, so that He hears, and then, we inhale His answers, and we hear His voice speak to us. What satisfaction there is when we hear from the Lord and we see His glory.
This is why we must not spend all of our time working, even though as Solomon said, in all labor there is profit. The profit is not for the soul. We must be still, and know He is God. We must draw near to God, and He will draw near to us. We must climb into the lap of our Father and be satisfied by His tender voice and His love.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ecclesiastes 7-9.
We do not work to satisfy our souls, we sit before God. It is not by activity, but by our relationship with God. That is why he exhorts us to fear God, which means to worship Him and obey. However, even in obedience we are not working to satisfy our souls. It is trusting God and through that trust we come to know Him more intimately. Then, our souls are satisfied.
We drink in the Word of God to satisfy our souls. It is our spiritual food. It shows us what our soul is longing for. It directs us to the solutions for life. Without the Word our souls will be hungry continually. Jesus told us that we do not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
We breathe spiritually as we pray. We express our soul's desires to the Lord and our needs, so that He hears, and then, we inhale His answers, and we hear His voice speak to us. What satisfaction there is when we hear from the Lord and we see His glory.
This is why we must not spend all of our time working, even though as Solomon said, in all labor there is profit. The profit is not for the soul. We must be still, and know He is God. We must draw near to God, and He will draw near to us. We must climb into the lap of our Father and be satisfied by His tender voice and His love.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ecclesiastes 7-9.