By Evangelist John BJ Hall
The old hymn I am satisfied with Jesus says: “I am satisfied with Jesus, He has done so much for me: He has suffered to redeem me, He has died to set me free.” The chorus says, “I am satisfied, I am satisfied, I am satisfied with Jesus, But the question comes to me, As I think of Calvary, Is my Master satisfied with me?”
The Word of God says, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is...My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness.” (Ps. 63:1, 5) I see three things here that are important for me to know.
We live in a dry land. This is exemplified in the days of the dust bowl in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. But it is not just limited to that era. Until recently we who live in Oklahoma and surrounding states have been in a drought. Not only have we seen a physical drought in our land, there has been a spiritual drought.
People have not heard the true word of God preached with clarity. If their spiritual lives are based on TV preachers, other than a select few, they are not hearing the true life changing Gospel. Instead they hear the twisted gospel of greed and self-aggrandizement. The have their ears tickled with sweet sounding words without the challenge of living a Christian lifestyle. More often than not they are not shown the way of salvation and hope. It truly is a dry land.
We have a thirsty soul. This is partially due to the dry land we live in, but not entirely. When we go to foreign lands, especially third world countries we find people who are thirsty for the hope and truth of the Gospel. I have seen men and women walk many miles in order to hear the Word of God preached. When they have heard it they gladly receive it and allow it to change their lives.
We have lost this thirst in America. The old adage “familiarity breeds contempt” has become the truth today. We have heard the Gospel in so many conflicting ways that we don’t know what to believe anymore and so we make the conscience decision to doubt it all.
This ought not to be so. For there is a satisfying God who is ready to quench our dry and thirsty souls. Jesus said that He was the Water of Life. If any person would come to Him and drink of Him they will never thirst again.
Now that is NOT to say that we stop thirsting for His truth and presence in life. The Psalmist said “O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 (NASB77) Jesus said in the beatitudes Matthew 5:6 (NASB77) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
My Heart’s Desire
My soul has longed for your loving touch
For without your hand to gently lead,
Can never come, though I try so much,
Your peace and wisdom in my every deed
My heart’s desire is to know you more
To hear your voice and know your will.
To walk with you by the golden shore
Will cause my heart to be oh so still.
So I come to you now in worship and prayer
With a humble heart and faith that’s true
I cast off my worries and throw off my care
And bring all the honor that is due to you.
I acknowledge my sin and turn to you now.
I reject the world and the things it gives
And before your throne I humbly bow
As through your love I learn how to live.
© Copyright 2001 by Passages Ministries. All rights reserved.
For permission to use this poem contact Passages Ministries.