According to John 8:32, what will Christ continually use as the means to our destination? “the truth”
What do you think being satisfied with something means?
“I think it means feeling that it, in itself, is enough. As opposed to, in the middle of one activity, thinking about another you’d rather be experiencing.”
What does God seem to be offering in Isaiah 55:1-2?
“sustenance for the soul that can be bought without money”
Restate His question in verse 2 in your own words.
“Why waste your time, effort, and money on pointless stuff and activities?”
What kind of satisfaction is God emphasizing in these verses? “spiritual”
Can you think of anything you’ve worked hard to attain that ultimately failed to bring about the satisfaction you were expecting?
“Yes – Antique Nancy Drew books, for instance, and At the Back of the North Wind”
In Jeremiah 31:23, when did God say he would refresh the weary and satisfy the faint?
“when He would bring them back from captivity”
I’m not talking about a life full of activities. I’m talking about a soul full of Jesus.
How do you know you are hungry? Describe the sensation of hunger.
“There is an empty, gnawing sensation, just above my belly button. Occasionally, it is accompanied by a little lightheadedness, and even a hint of a headache.”
How do you know when you are thirsty? Describe it.
“My mouth and throat feel dry, and sometimes my throat even feels a little raw.”
Why do you think this writer had such a hunger and thirst for God?
“The writer is David who is known as ‘a man after God’s own heart.’ He had many difficult times in his life and trusted God to see him through them. He might have written this when he was on the run, and, fearing for his life with King Saul pursuing him early in his life, or much later, with his own son trying to kill him. He desperately needed God to sustain as well as protect him.
What was the writer’s expectation after he confessed his thirst for God and earnestly sought Him (Psalm 63:5)?
“He would be satisfied fully, and would praise the Lord.”
How would you rate the kind of satisfaction the writer was accustomed to finding when he earnestly sought God? “like the richest food to the hungry”
Can you think of a time in your life when you knew you should be satisfied but you weren’t? Describe how you felt.
“I can think of a few Christmases where I didn’t get what I wanted, or in one case it had factory flaws, and we should’ve boxed it back up and exchanged it, but instead we made do. With the Lego set, especially, I was so disappointed – I had specifically asked both grandmas and my parents so I could [have] multiple sets, but Mom not only prevented that, but got me the most boyish one available. I felt sad, disappointed, and let down – by the system in the first case, and my parents in the second.”
How about you? Does your hungry soul ever manifest physical symptoms? “Yes” What are they? “irritability, resentment”
Based on these verses, what might be the manifestations of a thirst recently satisfied with God?
Psalm 71:8 “a mouth filled with praise”
Psalm 119:172 “a tongue singing of his word”
Isaiah 50:4 “an instructed tongue to know the word that sustains the weary”
What are a few ways in which a dry spirit might manifest itself?
“grouchiness and short temper,
“selfish choices,
“prideful attitudes,
“nagging,
“gossip,
“self-pity”
Conclude today’s lesson by recording the insights you learn about benefit 3 (to find satisfaction in God) from the following scriptures:
Psalm 103:1-2,5 “my desires will be satisfied with good things, and my youth renewed like the eagle’s”
Philippians 4:19 “God will meet all my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Revelation 3:20 “Jesus stands at the door and knocks; if I let him in, he will come in and eat with me.”
Dearest Rachel –
So this is the first of the benefits of being God’s children discussed in Isaiah 43:10 that we may know who God is and that we are His that you left unchecked, suggesting that you hadn’t ‘felt’ this one. Indeed, you marked it with an ‘x,’ as if to emphasize that particular lack. I wish I could ask you for clarification on this, but even if you were here to answer that question (and assuming you would get over my going through your old notes like I have been), you’d probably be hard-pressed to elaborate on the specifics of why you felt (or rather, didn’t feel) that way.
On the other hand, your definition of satisfaction may well be a clue. Sometimes, when we are in the midst of doing something we know we need or to do, we find ourselves wishing we were doing something else – whether it’s something more pleasant is assumed, but not necessary. Believe me, I know the feeling, now that I’ve begun working out – much of the time spent there, when not staring at one time or another, is spent thinking about the future, such as where to go for dinner thereafter (and thereby reacquire those same calories I’m currently in the middle of burning off). And I suppose you may have felt that way, even as you were filling in this answer; when there is so much else you might rather be doing, why would you want to spend time doing this homework?
But you did it nevertheless, and I, for one, am glad you did, so I have these little insights into your thought processes.
Granted, some of them I didn’t expect to see. We used to have fun early on in our marriage, going to used bookstores (especially in Evanston, as the college town seemed to be a place where such establishments proliferated), and finding certain treasures, like those old Nancy Drew books. They’re still sitting on our headboard, one of the few things of yours that I would never use that survived the purge; it’s almost disappointing to think that they didn’t bring you the satisfaction you expected, because now I’m not entirely sure what to do with them. As for the other book you reference, I know you loved George MacDonald’s The Princess and the Goblin, and must have hoped this earlier work of his would be equally interesting, and found yourself likewise disappointed by it; I don’t know, as I don’t recall having seen it in the house. I guess this might explain why we stopped going to Evanston at some point, although we never gave up patronizing more local used book stores.
I don’t recall having heard this story about the Lego sets – or if I did, I may have forgotten it. I think I do remember an old set handed down to Daniel to play with from your own childhood, now that I think about it, but these details seem unfamiliar, if unsurprising. You always did know what you wanted, and weren’t afraid to say so if you couldn’t have it. Granted, in our life together, it was more a matter of having to ‘make do’ until we could get to that point, rather than any deliberate restriction on our part, but we rarely had everything we wanted in life. Then again, who ever does? Even the richest people on earth seem to be unsatisfied more often than not.
At any rate, as with the other benefit you weren’t experiencing at the time you wrote these notes, I’m sure you’re enjoying it now, and I look forward to doing likewise with you some day. Until then, honey, keep an eye on me, and wish me luck. I’m going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 