“Are You Satisfied?”

[mferrini]

“Are you satisfied?” Most of the time that I am asked this question, it is spoken with derision. It is often asked with the implication that I have requested and been given too much: too much discussion, too much evidence, or too much apology. Most of our human interactions do not reach the level of true satisfaction and we do not conclude the encounter with a feeling of fullness. Most of the time, you and I get what we can to claim sufficiency, a state where we have enough.
The good news is that God treats us differently. When God asks us, “Are you satisfied?”, he is asking a much deeper question motivated by his great love for us. He is asking if we are full. God’s concept of satisfaction has nothing to do with adequate provision and instead has everything to do with abundant provision. The bible teaches that being satisfied involves both refreshment and restoration. I am satisfied when I have sufficient resources for my every need and when I am abiding in a place where the storehouses are fully replenished. Being satisfied, when that satisfaction comes from God, means that I have been made whole.
We all know what it means to be full physically; we all have enjoyed times when we could eat no more. But God’s promise of satisfaction involves more than simply our physical needs. It involves and incorporates all our needs, including what placates our spiritual hunger. Imagine what it means to receive from your loan officer a letter announcing that your debt has been satisfied. This would signify that not only has a outstanding balance had been paid, but also signifies that your standing as debt-free has been returned to you. We are not given only what is needed to pay the debt, but also given whatever is required to remove it.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. Psalm 23:1 (NIV84)
As the above verse states, since the Lord is my shepherd I have all I need. That means not only do I have forgiveness, for example, but also whatever required forgiveness is no longer remembered. God’s satisfaction of my needs enables broken relationships to be restored and returned to a pre-fractured state. It enables tarnished reputations to be cleared and returned to a pre-scandalous state, at least in God’s eyes. Satisfaction looks like the outcome of the parable Jesus told about the prodigal son – a boy working in his father’s fields, with robes and rings, where the bane of his betrayal was no longer brought to mind.
God’s offer of satisfaction is absolute. Our acceptance of his satisfaction is not. We all are challenged to declare that we shall not be in want. We are offered refreshment, restoration, and return. We are not always accepting. We are offered a satisfying shepherd, but we are skittish to sleep soundly as he watches over us. The debt has been paid and our bellies are full. Now is the time to remember these needs no longer, for the Lord has allowed us to be satisfied.