What keeps us from true satisfaction?

Take a quick scan through your facebook statuses, or if you are so inclined, eavesdrop on a few conversations at a local pub or coffee shop and you will quickly find that there seems to be a lot of "unsatisfied" people around.  There always seems to be something to be unsatisfied with...

I don't believe this needs to be so...in fact Scripture tells us it need not be so.  A great example is what we find in Psalm 81.  Flip there yourself for the whole thing--I'll just refer to a couple verses.

First we have verse 10: "Open your mouth wide and I will fill it!" 

What a promise God makes to His people!  Just open up wide and receive what you need to be satisfied!

verse 16 continues and says: "He would feed you with the finest of the wheat and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

So often when people think of God's blessings I think they believe they have to jump through a bunch of hoops to get to them.  But here God simply says---OPEN UP!

The immediate picture in my mind is a small child in a highchair with a parent "flying" an airplane spoonful of food towards the little ones mouth.  All the child needs to do is open up wide and they will receive what they need!

This is all God is asking--but so often it seems like a stubborn child, we slam our mouths shut, and refuse what God offers.  And here is the thing--God will not force Himself upon you.  He holds the spoon out to us--but he will not pry open our mouths and shove it into our mouths--We must open wide our mouths!

verse 11 tells us what this looks like: "But my people did not LISTEN to my voice; Israel would not SUBMIT to Me."

God is speaking, He is offering satisfaction of the greatest measure in and through Jesus.  He just asks that you listen, and receive the satisfaction He offers through faith in Jesus.  This is grace displayed in the most beautiful of invitations---he is not demanding that you "be good enough, work hard enough, or jump through some hoops"--for you could never do enough.  By grace He simply says listen--open wide, and I will fill you up!

May you "know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God!" (Eph 3:19)