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My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.—Psalm 63:5–7
When we live in such a dry place and we go for a long time without His Word, praise, thanksgiving, and His presence—we forget that He satisfies “with marrow and fatness.” Nothing fills us up like Jesus and fills our hearts with joy so much that it … causes us to still be thinking about Him when we lie down.
After I get done ministering or God has really moved through me in other people’s lives, whether it is in front of a group speaking or sharing one on one—I feel so full and completely satisfied. I can’t sleep. … I keep thinking over and over again about His love for me, His grace toward me, and the power of His Word.
It is the greatest satisfaction to give of yourself for the glory of God.
The same thing happens when God gives us clear revelation in His Word where we never saw something before—but now we understand it. It is hard to go to sleep when you feel you have just been given secrets from God.
In the “night watches” we realize that He has been our help and that we are in the “shadow” of His wings.
After we have experienced walking with God in the morning early and meditating on Him in the night watches, why would we want to live any other way?—Bunni Pounds1
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There is someone greater than people or possessions who can truly satisfy. God offers us himself in the person of Christ. Jesus exceeds our expectations, provides for our needs, and fulfills our desires. Christ alone can provide the satisfaction and joy we so desperately seek.
The Bible is full of glorious promises of satisfaction for the discontent:
- Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).
- For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things (Psalm 107:9).
- The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever (Psalm 22:26).
- In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11).—Phillip Holmes
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In John chapter six, the Jews ask Jesus for a sign that He was sent from God. They tell Jesus that God gave them manna during the desert wandering. Jesus responds by telling them that they need to ask for the true bread from heaven that gives life. When they ask Jesus for this bread, Jesus startles them by saying, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
This is a phenomenal statement! First, by equating Himself with bread, Jesus is saying He is essential for life. Second, the life Jesus is referring to is not physical life, but eternal life… Third, and very important, Jesus is making another claim to deity. This statement is the first of the “I AM“ statements in John’s Gospel. The phrase “I AM” is the covenant name of God (Yahweh, or YHWH), revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). …
Fourth, notice the words “come” and “believe.” This is an invitation for those listening to place their faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God… Fifth, there are the words “hunger and thirst.”… When Christ died on the cross, He took the sins of mankind upon Himself and made atonement for them. When we place our faith in Him, our sins are imputed to Jesus, and His righteousness is imputed to us. Jesus satisfies our hunger and thirst for righteousness. He is our Bread of Life.—GotQuestions.org2
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We turn to one of the most precious passages in the Word of God: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare” (Isaiah 55:1–2).
This wonderful passage tells of the promises of Christ Jesus, calling to faith and repentance, and He tells you here of the blessings that will accrue to those that would accept the invitation.
The greatest of all supernatural things to me is that Christ, the incarnate Savior, should plead with us in all of our emptiness to come and partake of His riches and glory. He says if you’re thirsty in soul, come. If you’re hungry of heart, come. And he that hath no money, come without money and without price. So marvelous!
He’s saying also in this passage that nothing has satisfied you; you still have that emptiness, that aching void. You spent your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which did not satisfy, now come and eat that which is good. Let your soul delight itself.
God’s Word declares Jesus Christ is a satisfying portion, and you know that millions have testified that it is so, that He has satisfied every desire of their needy souls, and that when they knew nothing but the world’s wages, spending money for that which satisfied not, Christ came into their life. Then there dawned upon their dark souls a light. As God’s Word puts it, “the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
Maybe you have never known Him. Maybe you don’t even care about Him. Yet He humbles Himself and stoops down to your level and He pleads with you to come. He said, “Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live” (Isaiah 55:3). Isn’t it wonderful that God is giving you a chance? That you’re still in the place of hope, you still have the opportunity to meet the Savior?
Revelation 3:20 says: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Another wonderful invitation to “come.” He says “come,” “come,” “come,” all the time! If you could only realize what a satisfying portion Christ is, you would leap to accept this invitation of His.
God grant that you’ll not wait. For as sure as you are hearing this invitation from God’s Word, just as sure the Judgment Day is coming. In that hour you’ll know too late that He was that bread of life that could have utterly satisfied your hunger, but instead you spent your all for that which satisfied not. And you will know then that He was a fountain of living water, but you refused to come to Him and drink. Oh, that’s a tragedy! In that hour you’ll remember how He pled, saying, “Incline your ear and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live.”
His Word also says, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). So many times He says “come”! This is the loving call of the Father God to your heart to come to Him and partake of the riches of glory, salvation, eternal life.
Do you ask how to obtain this bread that satisfies and the springs of life that never dry up? It’s yours for the asking. Humble yourself before the Lord and accept His gracious invitation. He says, “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37).
Isaiah 55:6 says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” And then verse 7 says “Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”
Won’t you accept His invitation? He loves you and calls for you to come. God reigns, and oh, how He can change your life!—Virginia Brandt Berg
Published on Anchor May 2024. Read by Lenore Welsh. Music by John Listen.
