The Good Shepherd is the Source of True Satisfaction
Are you satisfied? If you turn on the television, open a magazine, or go to the mall, advertisements will bombard you with reasons that you shouldn’t be: “All your dreams come true.” “Want a pay raise?” “Work hard, play hard.” These ads promise satisfaction if you will only buy their product, make more money, or have more fun.
The problem is that such promises are never fulfilled. Buy the product, and before long, you desire something else. Earn extra money, and you find yourself craving more. Pursue all the fun you can get, and your desire for pleasure will only increase. Today’s culture is characterized by dissatisfaction, a restless longing for better circumstances.
God, on the other hand, has a much different message for us. Temporary attractions, whether they are possessions, prestige, or pleasure, will never satisfy. There is only one source of true satisfaction: God Himself.
The Fulfillment of Desires
Christ spoke about this truth after He fed the five thousand. Many people at that time were following Him because they were amazed at the miracles He performed. In other words, they followed Him because of His popularity and the things He could freely provide.
Nothing earthly would satisfy those crowds. Once they obtained the thing they desired, they would soon find themselves wanting that thing again. Nothing in this world can satisfy for long.
But Christ rebuked them, saying, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life” (John 6:27). Later, in verse 35, Christ identified Himself as that “meat” (or “bread”). He said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
Christ was repeating a truth found in Isaiah 55. In verse 2, God asks, “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not?” Clearly, the tendency to look everywhere but to God for satisfaction has been a human shortcoming for centuries.
The sole solution to our continual longing, or hunger, is Christ. He is the Bread of Life. He is satisfaction. We find lasting, eternal contentment in Him alone. God instructs us to stop searching for earthly things to fulfill our desire and, instead, start looking to Him.
Consider a statement I recently came across: “What I have in God is greater than what I don’t have in life.” If we stop to realize just how great God is, then we’ll appreciate the truth of this proclamation. He loves us as our Father. He guides us as our Shepherd. He’s our strength as our Rock. He’s our shelter as our Fortress. If we consider all the characteristics of God in His Word, we’ll find that He really is everything we could ever need or desire.
David was one of those who found this complete satisfaction in God. In Psalm 145, he proclaims, “Every day I will bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever” (v. 2). David goes on to explain why: God’s greatness is beyond measure. He is good, gracious, full of compassion, and merciful. He gives His people what they need at the time they need it. He is near to us. In verse 16 the psalmist testifies, “Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.” He never got over the greatness of God. And neither will we, if only we will realize these truths.
Staying Satisfied
But how can we maintain our satisfaction? What can we do when those longings of dissatisfaction resume whispering their convincing, but empty, promises? Let’s go back to the definition of dissatisfaction—”a restless longing for better circumstances.”
Usually our problem is that we are focused on the wrong thing. We look, not to God, but at our circumstances—what we don’t have. Obviously, our circumstances could always be better. We can always wish for more things, more popularity, more fun . . . God, on the other hand, is Allin- all. He is, at every moment, everything we could ever desire.
David writes in Psalm 63, “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches” (vv. 5, 6). These words reveal that David’s focus was on God. His thoughts were constantly filled with God. Continuing the psalm, he meditates on God’s attributes and His wonderful works. He is overwhelmed at His love.
In contrast to David’s glowing words, we can’t find abiding satisfaction if we fix our gaze on our circumstances. Focusing on God takes concentration. It takes work. It takes effort. But the reward is worth the effort. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isa. 26:3). Our reward is peace, satisfaction, or contentment. By looking to God instead of at our circumstances, we find everything we need and desire. “What I have in God is greater than what I don’t have in life.” And if we bear that truth in mind, we can drown out the whisperings of discontent with praise to God—the Source of genuine satisfaction.
At the time of original publication, Laura MacPherson was a freelance writer living in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Originally published in FrontLine • November/December 2003. Click here to subscribe to the magazine.)
Photo by @felipepelaquim on Unsplash