Day 19: The Satisfaction

“They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be SATISFIED.” Psalm 37:19

David told us in verse 18 that, “The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.” Then here in this verse, he goes on to tell us that the upright will not be ashamed. To be ashamed means to be embarrassed or guilty. When there is evil all around you, you have no need to be ashamed … IF you are living righteously. When children are playing in a group and one does something wrong, who should be ashamed? The one who is guilty, correct? When the parent or adult comes to correct the guilty party, you (the nonguilty one) have nothing to fear.

The latter part of this verse is where I want to actually focus today … on the satisfaction. Who is satisfied in this verse? The upright. The ones who are living and serving their Lord. When the cupboards get low on stock, it is the upright that God will satisfy … that God will provide for. Verse 25 says, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” It is the righteous and the upright who will be satisfied.

Luke 15 tells us the parable of the prodigal son. I always thought a prodigal as a person who had wandered away. But, I just looked up the definition and found out that I need to read the dictionary more often instead of guessing on my own! Because the definition of prodigal (as a noun) means a person who recklessly and extravagantly wastes money. As an   adjective (describing a noun), it means the same thing. Who knew this?

The prodigal here in Luke 15 had it all … he had clothes, he had food, he had a father who loved him, he had protection, he had help … he lacked nothing. But, somehow his mind got that all twisted up and it came up completely dissatisfied. How in the world did that happen? We see it every day in this world, do we not? Not just in our young people, but in our adults. They are not satisfied and they take that dissatisfaction and turned it into an all-out reckless, extravagant wasting of what God has given them. The prodigal was the same way and what happened? He found out the true meaning of   dissatisfaction, did he not? Is his story making the room start to get a little warmer than what is comfortable? Is it because you are finding yourself in the prodigal’s shoes? Have you found yourself, instead of being grateful for what you have, dissatisfied?

Growing up, I remember my dad saying his favorite hymn was “Satisfied.” The words go like this … “V1: All my life long I had panted for a drink from some cool spring, That I hoped would quench the burning of the thirst I felt within. V2:     Feeding on the husks around me, Till my strength was almost gone, Longed my soul for something better, Only still to hunger on. V3: Well of water every springing, Bread of life so rich and free, Untold wealth that never faileth, My            Redeemer is to me. Chorus: Hallelujah! I have found Him, Whom my soul so long has craved! Jesus satisfies my longings, Through His blood I now am saved.”

IF we seek our satisfaction righteously, we will never be dissatisfied again!