Satisfying The Longing Soul

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

Psalm 107:8–9

When Satan tried to tempt Jesus into the same trap made of “things” that he lured men to in this day, Christ said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Bread is important—but it is not all-important. Pleasure and recreation have their place—but they must not have first place. Money is necessary, but gold is not a satisfying substitute for God.

Now, as then, God’s Word resounds in our ears: “Hearken diligently unto me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness” (Isaiah 55:2). This is the secret of soul satisfaction: Let your soul delight itself in fatness. Remove the obstructions, tear down the barriers, and let your soul find the fulfillment of its deepest longings in fellowship with God.

I could tell you of many people who have explored every earthly resource for happiness and failed, but eventually came in repentance and faith to Christ, and in Him found satisfaction. The principal reason communism loses ground in the world (when it does) is that it promises material prosperity without spiritual satisfaction. Things, minus God, equal misery. That equation is just as true as two plus two equal four. As Eddie Rickenbacker once said, “Let the moment come when nothing is left but life, and you will find that you do not hesitate over the fate of material possessions.”

Our Father and our God, fill me with Your spirit. Help me to know that You are all I need. Deliver me from the temptations of this world and take away my desire for material things that only shackle me to this sinful world. Let me find my satisfaction in You. Through Jesus, my Savior. Amen.

Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).