Satisfaction


Do you look to things for satisfaction? Does any worldly thing actually satisfy? If you ate the world's best meal, would you hunger again? Of course. In fact, the best meal this world has to offer, offers so little that I don't think you'd be satisfied with the exact same 'best meal' over and over again for the rest of your life. Within a week you would probably hunger for a better, more satisfying meal. If you drank the purest drink of water the world has to offer, would you never thirst again?

I like cars. In 1976 I thought the absolute best car in the world was a Porsche Turbo Carrera - AKA the 930, or 911 Turbo. They were introduced in Europe in 1975, and came to the United States as 1976 model cars. I thought they were beautiful. Everything a car needed to be. Today, I could easily buy that 930, but I don't want it. It's not satisfying. Every year, a better car is built. How can there be satisfaction if a person can find themselves lusting after something within a few short years of allegedly being satisfied?

What about drugs? I've heard coke addicts say they are always trying to get a hit as good as that very first one. They try larger doses and stronger variations, but they are always after that same feeling they got the first time. Many die of an overdose having never found that elusive satisfaction they were looking for.

The same applies for love. One minute you're in happily love, and the next minute you're wondering, "How did I get here?" It's not that you don't love your spouse, or sibling, or parents, or anyone. You may love them dearly. You just can't figure out why they don't love you as you wish they did, or you don't love them as you once did, or how the two of you ended up where you are.

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 1:2 KJV

King Solomon wrote that. King Solomon was the wisest person in the world. According to the book of I Kings, Solomon was given a wise and understanding heart, so that there were none like him either before or after him.

In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

I Kings 3:5-12 KJV

This actually sounds like King Solomon was the wisest person ever. That may be arguable, but I believe we can agree that Solomon probably knew what he was talking about in this case. Vanity is a very old word that means something that is vain, empty or valueless. As Solomon said, all is vanity. I assume 'all' to include the things I wrote of earlier - food, possessions, mental states, even love. There is no satisfaction as it is all of no value. It's not the fault of the object, it' the way things are.

Fortunately, there was a later book, in which a better outlook was given:

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh 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.

John 4:10-14 KJV

Jesus just gave us a hint of something that satifies. He said that whosoever drinks of the water that HE shall give shall never thirst. Was this literal water? No, but whatever it is, it had that elusive satisfaction that I spoke of earlier. Later, Jesus elaborates:

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:35-40 KJV

There is satisfaction in Jesus Christ. HE is the Messiah, the bread of life. If we come to HIM we shall never hunger, and if we believe on HIM, we shall never thirst. In HIM, we have satisfaction. Mick Jagger is wrong. Mick can get satisfaction. He just needs to know where to look.

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