GOD IS MY SATISFACTION

Psalm 36:7-10 “How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.”

Last week our focus was on verse 7 where we emphasized that “GOD IS MY SAFETY.” This week we are to understand what the Psalmist is saying about God. Notice verse 8 “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.”

I don’t know that America has ever seen such times of dissatisfaction. People are dissatisfied with their job, house, church, physical looks, and circumstances. Many are dissatisfied with both the democrats and republicans. In regard to the latter, I just don’t blame them. And in this case, the dissatisfaction is probably going to be seen in the ballot box.

Many people want more of what they have. If having more would satisfy, then we would be the most satisfied people in the world. All of us have more than our parents and even more than we had when we were younger. But, having more does not make us happy or satisfied.

So what brings satisfaction. It’s according to what a person values or does not value. Meir Kahane wrote “Every man judges his own happiness and satisfaction with life in terms of his possession or lack of possession of those things that he considers worthwhile and valuable.”

That brings us to the question: “What do we consider worthwhile? What is valuable to us?” I’ve come to realize that satisfaction is not found in ourself or anything tangible. The wise man Solomon wrote in Proverbs 19:23 "The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil."

In our study today we see that the Psalmist has found his satisfaction for living in the safety of his God. Let’s think about a couple of things in regard to this satisfaction in God:

HE SATISFIES ABUNDANTLY – Notice the first part of verse 8 “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house;. . .”

We can enjoy all that’s in God’s house. One of the greatest stories in all the Bible is the story of Grace that was extended by David to Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth. If you’ll remember, instead of killing all of Saul’s family, David sought out this lame prince who was found in the city of Lodebar, which was the “arm pit” of the world. The king’s chariot took this young man from where he was to the king’s palace; not to be a servant but to eat at the king’s table.

What a picture of what has happened to the believer. Only the child of God has enough of all things concerning this life and the life to come. Truly, God satisfies abundantly.

HE SATISFIES OUR APPETITE – Notice these phrases in verse 8 “. . . satisfied with the fatness
. . and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.”

The “fatness” is the most excellent food you could imagine. Because God expects the best from us, so he gives the best to us. Notice the response of David in Psalm 63:5 "My soul is filled as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips." David couldn’t keep quiet when he feasted at the Lord’s table.

Isn’t it sad when so many so-called believers go through life and are satisfied with the scraps and fragments of what the world has to offer. It reminds me of the children of Israel on their way to a land flowing with milk and honey but came to a place where they longed for the leeks, onions and garlic of Egypt. Too many feast at the table filled with possessions and pleasure. Their appetite is not for spiritual food.

Why would this be? Why would so-called Christians be satisfied with the things of the world? Either they are not truly saved or they do not walk with the Lord on a daily basis. Satisfaction in our lives comes from developing our relationship with our God through the Lord Jesus Christ. That brings us to examine our walk with the Lord. Are we allowing His Word to feed us daily?

Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote about his relationship with the Lord in Philippians 4:11-13 "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." You must find your satisfaction in the Lord Himself. What satisfies you?

Last week we examined the Psalmist declaration that GOD IS MY SAFETY and this week GOD IS MY SATISFACTION. We will continue this for one more week.

That’s my view; how about you?