What is Prayer?

As part of the Delighting in Trinitarian Prayer series, this post focuses on the concept and act of prayer. One of the most powerful tools a Christian has is prayer, yet so often, it is either not used or taken for granted. We, including myself, let many distractions get in the way of our prayer time. We either come before God and mark off a box because we know we are “supposed” to pray or we don’t pray because we would rather sleep or use our time doing 100 different other things. 

One of the ways we as believers can worship God and have fellowship with Him is through prayer. It is a way to get direction, a way to listen, a way to confess, and a way to talk your problems and struggles over with the Creator. A weapon that can be used against evil and our flesh, often goes without being used because we fall into the temptation of not praying. Sometimes that is seen in the form of trying to control a situation in our own power, or we say we don’t know what to say or how to pray. Sometimes the hurt is so much, we don’t feel we can come to God. Yet, at any given point in the day, God is there for all of us. he wants us to pray and talk with Him. He wants to have fellowship with us and build a deeper relationship. God already knows your prayers, yet He wants all of us to come to Him and seek Him. It is about remembering who is first, who is in control, and why we need Him. We will continually fail until we reach out to God and seek Him. 

The beauty of prayer is that we can never go to the president or CEO of a company. Even our loved ones won’t always be available to us. But God always is and He is ready for us. he wants us to come and talk with Him. He doesn’t need it or need us to come, but we do. We need prayer. In a recent book by Tim Keller called “Prayer”, he describes a situation in which a woman compares prayer to medicine that is absolutely wonderful. When we are sick, hurting or injured, we will take some medicine to heal. The woman who is suffering from a major ailment that requires taking medicine every day to attack the illness says she would never miss a day of the medicine. Why would she subject herself to pain by not taking the medicine. But, she also prayed because while the medicine may alleviate the pain or go after the virus, only prayer can heal. Prayer cures and helps the spiritual that leads to other areas of our lives. She says that she would never miss prayer because she needed it. Prayer was the true medicine. Why would we not pray and take the “medicine” that our bodies and souls truly need.

“Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God hath promised, or according to the Word, for the good of the church, with submission, in faith, to the will of God.”[1] Prayer is an act of worshiping God. It is the calling out to God for assistance, thanking the Father for His provisions, adoring the Triune God, a confession of sins, and conversing with the Almighty God. It is one of the most important ways of building intimacy and fellowship with the Father, Son, and Spirit. The Heidelberg catechism “affirms that prayer is quite simply the first act of thanksgiving toward God. The word ‘thanksgiving’ is more appropriate than gratitude because it means acting according to what we know has been given.”[2] However, prayer and adoration are different. Adoration praises God because of his character, whereas thanksgiving is the expression of gratitude for what God does. “Thanksgiving arises from the reception of God’s gifts; adoration centers on the Giver.”[3]

Prayer is the Christian’s way to take their cares and concerns to God for help. Joseph Scriven is quoted as saying, “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer!” “Prayer is God’s appointed way to fullness of joy because it is the vent of the inward burnings of our heart for Christ.”[4] It also “provides the power to do what we love to do but can’t do without God’s help…. Prayer is the fountain of joy because it is the source of power to love.”[5] “In the biblical view of prayer is the pouring out of the soul to a God who hears and acts. Prayer is crying out to God in our anguish and being set free when he answers (Ps 118:5; cf Ps 116:1-8).”[6]

[1] John Bunyan, A Discourse Touching Prayer, internet, accessed 2 December 2014, http://acacia.pair.com/Acacia.John.Bunyan/Sermons.Allegories/Discourse.Touching.Prayer/2.html.

[2] Karl Barth, Prayer, (London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002), 14.

[3] Stanley J. Grenz, Theology for the Community of God, (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000), 495.

[4] John Piper, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist, (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2012), 176.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Donald Bloesch, God the Almighty, (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2005), 231.

Research notes for the provisions of the year of jubilee

The continuation of the small research involved in the year of Jubilee paper. I share this in an effort to show where the paper was formed, some influences on my own opinion, but also to show what some scholars think and say about this topic. We don’t always get to see too much of the details behind the scene that these scholars do. We may see snippets of their work here or there, but they have such deep knowledge of things that this becomes almost an “ode” to all those who have invested so much time and effort into these individual topics.

• Provisions
  • four main provisions applied.
    • 2.1. Land Return. This is perhaps the main provision of the Jubilee year, without parallel in the sabbatical year. In the Jubilee year, any land that had been sold in the previous forty-nine years was to be returned to its original family of ownership according to the Mosaic land distribution ^[1]
      • The theological motivation for the Jubilee law of land return was that the land belonged to Yahweh, so the law regarded Israel as being “aliens and tenants” with Yahweh (Lev 25:23). Israelites technically were stewards of the land, not its owners. This theology of the land undergirds the whole Jubilee legislation. The land, of course, is crucial in the OT for the *promises and purposes of Yahweh as well as being an indicator of the relationship between Yahweh and Israel.
      • The overarching principle for land ownership and tenancy is found in verses 23–24. The land is YHWH’s; the people of Israel were resident strangers on his land. Therefore, they had no right to sell it irretrievably. Thus, both buyer and seller were to recognize the temporary nature of their arrangement and anticipate the eventual return of the land to the seller or his family. [2]
      • If possible, kinship structures were to prevent the control of land from leaving the family. If, however, land must be sold, it must be sold commensurately with the number of years remaining until the Jubilee, for in that year, the land is to be returned to its original owner.
    • 2.2. Release of Israelite Slaves. In addition, Israelite slaves were to be released (Lev 25:39–43). Presumably the return of land coinciding with slave release would give freed slaves the resources to make a new start. A distinction is made between Israelite slaves and foreign slaves; the provision of release did not apply to the latter (Lev 25:44–46). Even if an Israelite became a slave of a resident alien, the right of redemption still applied, so that Israelite slaves could redeem themselves if they prospered or a family member could redeem them. The details in Leviticus 25 regarding slaves make it clear that slaves were to be treated generously and not harshly. The theological undergirding of this law is that the people of Israel are the servants of Yahweh who redeemed them from Egypt (Lev 25:55). This is not unlike the theological motivation regarding the sabbatical law of slave release (Deut 15:15). This theological expression also relates to the land-return law. Both land and Israel belong to Yahweh.^[3]
      • If it becomes necessary for an Israelite to come under another’s authority as a tenant, this person is to be treated with compassion and released in the Jubilee year. However, if slaves are acquired from the surrounding nations, they are kept as property, and, presumably, not released in the Jubilee (vv. 44–46). Finally, if an Israelite farmer is indentured outside of his clan, a kinsmen has the first right of redemption, and if this is not possible, then the farmer is to be released in the year of Jubilee. [4]
    • 2.3. Cancellation of Debts. If, as has been suggested above, debt repayments were suspended during the sabbatical year, then in the Jubilee year they were cancelled entirely. Though Leviticus 25 does not explicitly discuss debt cancellation, the return of an Israelite to his land plus the release of slaves implies the cancellation of debts that led to slavery or the loss of land (see Sloan, 7–9). Related to this provision is the proscription of interest charged to fellow Israelites (Lev 25:36–37). This provision is also grounded in Yahweh’s redemption of Israel from Egypt.
    • 2.4. Fallow Land. As in the sabbatical year, the land was to lie fallow in the Jubilee year (Lev 25:11–12). Similar to God’s provision of *manna in the wilderness, the year preceding the sabbatical and Jubilee years would produce sufficient for the fallow years (Lev 25:21).^[5]
      • Rest for the land. The command for the land to rest is given first. Here, YHWH gives his assurance that if they are faithful to keep his command to give the land its rest, the Israelites will not lack food. Rather, YHWH will bless the crop of the sixth year so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years (vv. 21–22). Thus, the crop of that year will provide for the year itself, the next year when the land is resting, and a third year, the first year of the new cycle, while the people are waiting for the crops to come in again. [6]
    • During this year of joy and liberation the law stipulated three respects in which the land and people were to be sanctified: (1) It was to be a time of rest for the soil as well as people (Lev. 25:11). The unattended growth of the field was for the poor to glean and for the beasts of the field (Exod. 23:11). (2) All land was to revert to the original owner (Lev. 25:10–34; 27:16–24). The original distribution of land was to remain intact. All property which the original owner had been obligated to sell (and had not yet been redeemed) was to revert (without payment) to the original owner or his lawful heirs. Some exceptions to this pattern are noted in Lev. 25:29–30; 27:17–21. (3) Every Israelite who had sold himself—either to his fellow countryman or to a foreigner settled in the land—because of poverty and remained unredeemed was to be freed along with his children (Lev. 25:39–46).^[7]
    • The use of the ram’s horn was significant. With this horn God announced His descent on Mt. Sinai, called Israel to be His people, received them into His covenant, united them to Himself, and began to bless them (Exod. 19:13, 16, 19; 20:18).[8]
      • The year began on the Day of Atonement “. . . to show that it was only with the full forgiveness of sins that the blessed liberty of the children of God could possibly commence.”[9]
      • No sowing or reaping was to take place, as during the sabbatical years (v. 11). God promised to provide for His people as they rested in response to His gracious promise (vv. 18-23).

^[1] Barker, P. A. (2003). Sabbath, Sabbatical Year, Jubilee. In Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

[2] Chris bruno

^[3] Barker, P. A. (2003). Sabbath, Sabbatical Year, Jubilee. In Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. 703

[4] Chris Bruno

^[5] Barker, P. A. (2003). Sabbath, Sabbatical Year, Jubilee. In Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

[6] Christorpher Bruno, “’Jesus is Our Jubilee’…But How? The OT Background and Lukan Fulfillment of the Ethics of Jubilee,” in JETS 53/1 (March 2010) 81-101.

^[7] Brand, C., Draper, C., England, A., Bond, S., Clendenen, E. R., & Butler, T. C. (Eds.). (2003). Year of Jubilee. In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers. 1694

[8] Thomas Constable, “Notes on Leviticus,” Internet, available from http://soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/leviticus.pdf, accessed 22 November 2014.

[9] Keil, C. F., and Franz Delitzsch. The Pentateuch. 3 vols. Translated by James Martin. Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. N.p.; reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., n.d. 2:458

Concluding thoughts on the Year of Jubilee

Today, we wrap up our series on the Year of Jubilee by offering some concluding thoughts. In brief, to summarize what we have discussed these past few posts and point to the great and magnificent work of Christ. It is a great reminder of the freedom and joy we believers can experience in our Mighty Deliverer

Conclusion

While the Year of Jubilee may not have been practiced, there are many aspects of this year that the modern believer can glean. It is a time when the Israelites were called to trust God that He would provide for all their needs. Jubilee is not only a reminder for the Israelites that the land belonged to Yahweh and the Israelites were the stewards, it is a reminder for the modern believer as well that all that we have belongs to God. The Christian is to trust God, obey His will, be good stewards, and rejoice in the freedom of God’s grace and redemption through Jesus Christ. The believer may be called to practice a leap of faith much like the Israelites with the Year of Jubilee, but the Christian can be sure that even in uncertainty and trials, they can confidently trust in a faithful God. Jubilee reminds the believer even when we are not faithful, God always is because He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim 2:13). The Year of Jubilee’s “main feature was the solemnity which shewed them to be separated from other nations to be a peculiar and holy nation to God; nay, the renewal of all things had reference to this, that being redeemed anew in the great Sabbath, they might entirely devote themselves to God their Deliverer.”[1]

The Year of Jubilee typified the spiritual rest all believers enter into through Christ. He eased the burden of worldly care and labor enabling and encouraging the believer to live by faith. Just as the fruits of the land for Jubilee were enjoyed in common, so the salvation brought about by Christ is a common salvation to be enjoyed by all. Jubilee exemplified a Christian’s redemption from the service of sin by the grace of God in Christ who sets a believer free (John 7:32). As the Year of Jubilee was an expression of a resounding shout of joy and freedom, so Christians can rejoice in the liberty provided by Christ.

[1] John Calvin and C.W. Bingham, Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses…, 451.

Bibliography

Barker, P. A. “Sabbath, Sabbatical Year, Jubilee.” In Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch. 696-706. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003.

Babcock, B. C. “Jubilee, Year of.” In The Lexham Bible Dictionary, edited by J.D. Barry and L. Wentz. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012.

Bergsma, John Sietze. The Jubilee from Leviticus to Qumran: A History of Interpretation. VTSup 115; Leiden: Brill, 2007.

Bloom, Jon “Lay Aside the Weight of Restless Work.” Desiring God. 2013. Accessed 23 November 2014. http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/lay-aside-the-weight-of-restless-work.

Brand, C., Draper, C., England, A., Bond, S., Clendenen, E. R., & Butler, T. C. Eds. “Festivals.” In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003. Logos Bible Software.

Bruno, Christopher. “’Jesus is Our Jubilee’…But How? The OT Background and Lukan Fulfillment of the Ethics of Jubilee,” JETS 53/1 (2010): 81-101.

Calvin, J., & Bingham, C. W. Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.

Constable, Thomas. Notes on Leviticus. Internet. Accessed 22 November 2014. Available from http://soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/leviticus.pdf.

Easton, M. G. “Jubilee,” In Easton’s Bible Dictionary. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893. Logos Bible Software.

Gnuse, Robert. “Jubilee Legislation in Leviticus: Israel’s Vision of Social Reform,” Biblical Theology Bulletin 15:2 (1985): 43.

Hamilton, Victor P. Handbook on the Pentateuch. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005.

Henry, Matthew. “Leviticus 25.” In Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume, 181–182. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994.

Keil, C.F., and Franz Delitzsch. “The Pentateuch.”  Translated by James Martin. In Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. Vol. 3, N.p. 1865; Reprint. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2011.

Lindsey, F. Duane. “Leviticus.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, 163-214. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1985.

Manser, Martin H. “Year of Jubilee.” Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser, 2009. Logos Bible Software.

Merrill, Eugene. Everlasting Dominion: A Theology of the Old Testament. Nashville: B & H, 2006.

North, Robert. Sociology of the Biblical Jubilee. Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1954.

Sailhamer, John H. The Pentateuch as Narrative, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 361.

Schiffman, L. H. “Jubilee.” The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated), edited by Mark Allan Powell. New York: HarperCollins, 2011. Logos Bible Software.

Wenham, Gordon J. “The Book of Leviticus.” In New International Commentary on the Old Testament Series. 239-334. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1979.

Jubilee = faith and freedom

A Year of Faith, Freedom, and Rejoicing

The Year of Jubilee, as described in Leviticus 25:8-55, was “the name of the great semi-centennial festival of the Hebrews,” that lasted for a year.[1] It occurred every fiftieth year at the end of seven sabbatical cycles of seven years each; on this Day of Atonement, Israel was to declare a Year of Jubilee. The year began on the Day of Atonement “. . . to show that it was only with the full forgiveness of sins that the blessed liberty of the children of God could possibly commence.”[2] “The Year of Jubilee did for the land what the Day of Atonement did for the people. This year removed the disturbance or confusion of God’s will for the land that resulted from the activity of sinners eventually.”[3] It was to be proclaimed with the blowing of a trumpet made from a ram’s horn.[4] The use of the ram’s horn is significant because with the horn “God announced His descent on Mt. Sinai, called Israel to be His people, received them into His covenant, united them to Himself, and began to bless them (Exod. 19:13, 16, 19; 20:18).”[5]  The word “Jubilee” probably comes from the Hebrew yabal, meaning “to bring [forth],” as in the bringing forth of produce.[6] Also called the “year of liberty” (Ezek 46:17),[7] a central idea in the Year of Jubilee is of freedom or liberty, while the critical theological background is God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt.[8]

“The main purpose of these laws is to prevent the utter ruin of debtors.”[9] Yet, the Jubilee law also provided remedies for slavery, poverty, and property. The Year of Jubilee presents a picture of redemption; redemption for the land, families, slaves and debts. Considered together, these elements allude to Christ redeeming the sinner and setting them free from the slavery of sin to the freedom of grace and peace that only He can offer.

[1] M.G. Easton, “Jubilee,” in Easton’s Bible Dictionary, (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893), under “J,” sec., “Jubilee,” Logos Bible Software.

[2] C.F. Keil and Franz Delitzsch, “The Pentateuch,” translated by James Martin, in Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 3, 1865, Reprint (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2011), 2:458.

[3] Thomas Constable, “Notes on Leviticus,” internet, 2014, accessed 22 November 2014, available from http://soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/leviticus.pdf.

[4] L. H. Schiffman, “Jubilee,” in The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, (Revised and Updated), ed. Mark Allan Powell, (New York: HarperCollins, 2011), under “J,” sec., “Jubilee,” Logos Bible Software.

[5] Thomas Constable, “Notes on Leviticus.”

[6] Robert North, Sociology of the Biblical Jubilee, (Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1954), 96-97.

[7] C. Brand, et al, eds., “Festivals,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), under “F,” sec., “Festivals”, Logos Bible Software.

[8] P.A. Barker, “Sabbath, Sabbatical Year, Jubilee,” in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 702.

[9] Gordon J. Wenham, “The Book of Leviticus,” in New International Commentary on the Old Testament Series, (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1979), 317.

Joy and willingness

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. – Psalm 51:12, NIV

Do you ever have one of those days or times in your life where you hear different things on peace and joy and fullness? You hear these things and you start to wonder what that is like? You think to yourself the last time you truly felt peace. When was that?

This has been on my mind recently. Different sermons and songs I listen to keep talking about peace and joy. They speak of such great and wondrous peace. They talk about a heart that is yearning to know some type of rest. All around me now seems like there are many things going on. The world and stresses and obligations of this world start to wear on me. My heart turns from being vertically minded and focused on God to being horizontally minded and things of this world.

It amazes me how fast the devil can cloud my peace. I can feel and see the storms and chaos but that inner delight, that joy, that fullness seems like it is nowhere to be found. While David wrote this Psalm during a difficult and convicting time in his life, I can relate to how he feels when struggling with the weight of sin and not being connected to the Source of life. But as with today, in the mundane tasks of life and just another day, I lose sight of the joy of salvation. I lose sight and forget about what abundant peace our Father in heaven gives. A gift that cost so much yet out of the fullness of His grace, He showered it and continues to shower it upon us.

All too often I think the joy of salvation should be something it isn’t. I probably feel like I should be on this spiritual nonstop high. And maybe that is it. But what is the joy of salvation to me? It is even on bad days, long days, boring days being so delighted in God. Being so delighted that it overflows to the various parts of your life. Remembering the truths that God has told us in His divine Word. Remembering who God is. An awareness or an awake-ness of God begins to well up inside of me. A thirst to be connected to our heavenly Father. That even in the midst of a bad situation we can lift our eyes to heaven and faithfully say, “Your will be done.” Knowing that what God has planned, is beyond our imagination, beyond all knowledge and is right because He is sovereign. A joy so strong that we can honestly look upon Him and remind ourselves and say “I need God more than the next breath, heartbeat. I need you God more than anything. More than words can say.”

The thing with joy is it’s when we can give God praise in good times and bad times, in happy times and sad times, in abundant times and meager times. When we simply kneel in awe of the only awe-inspiring thing. That joy of salvation could even lead us to tears when we simply think about what He did in Jesus. We can’t believe that something or someone would do that for us. That in times of depression and loneliness, there is someone who wants to spend time with us, know us and loves us. That through the struggle and scars of not having a father, we have a heavenly Father who made us His children. He tells us to unpack our bags and gives us refrigerator rights for the greatest fruits imaginable in joy or peace or love or faith or grace or any quality of our great and mighty God.

One of my favorite parts of this verse though is David realizing that not only does he need the joy of salvation again after feeling so low for what he did, but asking God to give him a spirit of obedience. A spirit of saying yes to God no matter what it may mean because he knows that the only thing that will sustain him is not of this world, but the Creator of this world and all things. David knows that the only way he can keep going is by being connected to God. Connected to the Sustainer and Giver of life. David knows he needs to eat but the only thing that will satisfy him is to feast on God and His great love. He knows that nothing compares to God or knowing Him. He tasted and saw the goodness of God and wants to taste that goodness again (Psalm 34:8).

For me personally, I know that in those brief moments that I have an attitude of yes toward God that there comes one of the sweetest gifts with that. It is the gift of joy. When I actually obey God and do His Will that is one of the greatest and best gifts I could ever have. It is beyond compare. To simply say yes to God fills me with such sweet joy that I just want more of it. My desire is there, but so often my spirit isn’t. That is why I need to ask this daily, even hourly. I need a willing spirit, because God is my life and only He will sustain me. Not food or money or fame or relationships or success, but the simple joy of obedience. “I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:8, NIV)”

Today, I ask God for a willing spirit to sustain us. To restore the joy of salvation and be reminded of what He has done for us, who He made us and how great and awesome is our Great God. The God of peace, rest and everlasting joy. I pray that we will confess we haven’t always had joy in prayer or reading God’s Word or our relationship. We confess that, but ask God to help us and may we receive his joy.

Being satisfied in God

As I listened to this podcast of this sermon, I had no idea that many have  picked it apart. Many do not like what Piper says in this two-part message. Let me first just say that I simply enjoyed this sermon from many years ago. I listened to it as I walked on my lunch hour (I had to divide it up over two days to be honest). But it was so powerful to me. I love the way Piper is so passionate for God and is constantly relating points back to Scripture. His passion for God, the way he yearns for us to desire God more is infectious. I am so thankful that God has used the few sermon podcasts I have heard to really stir something up in me. I understand that some people don’t like that he uses the word hedonism, this is simply a post (a couple of post actually) about why I enjoyed this sermon. It is my own sermon notes.

Since the sermon and the notes were so long, I have divided this up into a few post. Below you will find the notes I took from listening to his sermon. This post is on the first part of what he said.

I love the mission that he has for himself and his church, to simply spread a passion for God and His supremacy. Simply I want the desire of my heart and every facet of my life to be about God. His name, His renown, to glorify the Lord in this simple little life that is over so quick.

Since I have heard this thesis statement that “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him”, it has renewed me in a way to stop focusing on the things of this world. That I must not look to any god or idol of this world for satisfaction. The only way that I will feel satisfied, that I will feel purpose and worth is by drowning in the waterfall of God.

I am reminded of a book by Larry Crabb called Inside Out where it talks about us having different longings and how we spend 90% of our time on these longings that don’t satisfy. That may help us feel better for a moment, but quickly fade away. This is what I do so often. I don’t want to dig my own wells or cisterns. I don’t want to seek after money or fame or power or whatever other counterfeit god, yet it is so easy to slip into that.

One thing that I really enjoy about this message is being reminded that we are to be happy in God. Whenever I have those moments where I feel I am in God’s presence, those are some of the happiest times. I cherish those times. It may happen at a completely unhappy moment, but having such a meaningful, intimate time with Him is awesome.

I want to eat from His table. I need to eat the very fruits of God’s goodness. I want to have that thirst, that passion, that hunger to desire God above all things and never, ever be content in our relationship. And if God is using this message to stir something up in me to remind me of just how satisfying He is, then I am so thankful. I am so thankful that He is using this message to remind me to stop trying to be satisfied in this world and just be satisfied in Him.

God, my prayer is that i may be satisfied in you and only you. Help me to delight in you and Your ways. I need You to help me seek You and only You. My greatest desire and joy is You Lord, may I stop trying to fulfill that in this unsatisfying world. This world will and does fail me, but you are good and i trust in you. amen.