It is in the DNA of all creatures to be desperate for physical satisfaction; it is also commonplace to go to any length in a bid to satisfy one’s physiological needs, but such any satisfaction with Jesus Christ has a limited tenor, as one level of need leads to another level of desires and needs. The writer of Ecclesiastes 5:10, from a vintage position of experience, said that, “He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loves abundance with increase: this is also vanity”. What he said in essence was that human needs are insatiable and that satisfaction can only come from above – whatever satisfaction that is outside of Christ is temporal. It also means that all the things you desire for, aspire towards, perspire unto and acquire such as education marriage, beauty, buildings, power etc can only give you momentary satisfaction as eternal satisfaction and joy like a river are from Jesus Christ.
That position was confirmed by Apostle Paul when he was at a meeting with the people of Athens in Areopagus, he said that, “For in Him we live and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Satisfaction in Christ alone also means that if you put your absolute trust in any human being for eternal satisfaction of physical, marital, spiritual, medical needs etc you are in for a life shocker. The reason for this is that human beings are limited in time, restricted in knowledge, contained in power and bounded in capacity (Jeremiah 17:5-6)
Satisfaction in Christ alone affirms that if you make flesh your arm of support, and you take your gaze from God, you shall be exposed to disappointment, opened to heartbreak, given to heart related issues, depression, dejection, high blood pressure and, if not properly managed, a sudden death (Jeremiah 2:13). This becomes so because human beings are not dependable (Jeremiah 17:5,6) – the lips that yesterday shouted Hosanna with smiles shall return tomorrow with a frown screaming, Crucify Him. A friend today is an enemy tomorrow but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:-8). Finally, if you crave for any of life creatures such as money, houses, buildings, education, marriage, for your satisfaction, leaving out Jesus Christ, you shall continue to dwell in the wilderness of life and be tossed up and down. In addition to that, anyone who succumbs to one of the ploys of the devil that drugs of whatever nature could satisfy, is in for a great disappointment. The moment such an habit is formed, it graduates to a destructive habitat which ultimately attacks lives and brings down the destinies of great people.
I pray that during the Lenten season, God in His infinite mercy will deliver all that are hooked to drugs and set free our brothers and sisters who are living under the bridges and in terrible places; and may the God of all possibilities restore their lives and give them the inner strength to say No to bad habits henceforth in the name of Jesus. Besides drugs, cigarette smoking, love for wine, cravings for women, desire to be engaged with all men and sexual immoralities, it is important to note that the love of money too cannot give eternal satisfaction, but can only afford a temporary pleasure (1 Timothy 6:10).
From the passage of our text, Jesus told the multitudes who were desperately following Him about for food and drink, which could never satisfy, that, Satisfaction cannot come from any earthly thing but that In Christ alone there is satisfaction. He told them that anyone who comes to Him will never go hungry, and whosoever believes in Him will never be thirsty. The multitude wanted bread but what they needed was the bread of life. The physical bread has a short tenor of usefulness but the spiritual bread from Jesus Christ satisfies till eternity. This scenario played out at another time when Jesus Christ told a Samaritan woman that He was the only One that could satisfy. The Samaritan woman came to fetch water at a well in a town in Samaria called Sychar. Jesus Christ was there too and He requested the woman to give Him water to drink but the woman refused because Jesus was a Jew and she was a Samaritan (both nations were sworn enemies at that time). Jesus then told the woman in John 4:13-14 that, “Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Beloved, at what junction of needs are you at this moment, what are the things that you desire but are out of your reach, what are those things that are available but not obtainable by you and what are those things that are making you unhappy, I have good news for you: Jesus Christ, the One who is the Word (John 1:3), is able and willing to turn things around for you. He was the One who created the world (Genesis 1:3; Col. 1:16,17); He laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of His hands (Hebrews 1:10). What you need to do is to run to Him during this season of penitence and ask Him to have mercy on you in ways where you have trusted your strength and relied on your wisdom as your source of satisfaction. Further to that, I implore you to pray very passionately that He comes through for you. He has done it in countless of times and places in the past, and He is still doing so, and much more (Ephesians 3:20). I am confident that before this Lenten season ends, you shall testify to His goodness to you and your family in the name of Jesus Christ.
- Prayer: Lord, have mercy on me in areas where I have trusted the arm of flesh to satisfy. Come into my life and grant me satisfaction from above in Jesus’ name.