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...The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him.... The one aim of the call of God is the satisfaction of God, no a call to do something for Him. We are not sent to battle for God, but to be used by God in His battlings. Are we being more devoted to service than to Jesus Christ?” (My Utmost for His Highest 1-18)
After reading these thoughts yesterday I guess my mind began cogitating on them in the background. For when I awoke this morning the Spirit picked them up and began to impress me with the extreme importance of the concept of satisfying God's heart. So much of the time we think of religion and God as a means of bringing us relief from pain and satisfying our own desires but very seldom think of trying to satisfy God's heart or desires. Or when we do, to often it is associated with a strong sense of duty and obligation which translates into just another issue of performance that we must fulfill.
To think of the possibility that I could actually have an effect on God's heart by bringing Him satisfaction in an emotional way almost sounds bizarre but also exciting. My mind was directed to the story that Jesus told in response to His disciple's request for more faith and I got even more excited. For this story strongly reinforces this relationship and the importance of satisfying God's heart. In fact, Jesus teaches that this kind of relationship with God is precisely what creates great faith within us.
The story is found in Luke 17:5-10. When this is studied very carefully word by word, phrase by phrase, it can be seen that the relationship between the servants and the master in this story is very unique and different than what most of us are used to. On the surface, the masters words even sound harsh and demanding if the close, intimate relationship with his servants is not perceived. But if it is carefully pondered it can be seen that in fact this story contains one of the most powerful secrets to unleash a dynamic and growing faith relationship with the Almighty Creator of the whole universe.
The secret unveiled is the importance of making the satisfying of God's heart our highest priority. When we have our hearts in sync with the desires and feelings of God's heart and learn what brings satisfaction to Him and creates a big smile on His face, we have entered into a whole new dimension of existence. The next logical question that has continued to lodge in my mind is, “what kinds of things does God crave that I could satisfy Him with?”
As I sat down this morning with these thoughts chasing around in my mind I was a little reluctant to start reading for fear I would lose these insights before I could get them captured in writing. However, I decided to read the day's devotional from Sons and Daughters of God. I was delighted, but not too surprised, to find that instead of being distracted, the reading was strongly reinforcing and adding to what was already expanding in my heart. God was telling me in strong, sensitive words what He could really get pumped up about, excited about, things that I could grasp that would bring deep satisfaction to His heart.
Christ was strong to save the whole world. He wanted all. He could not endure the thought that one should be lost. He wept at the grave of Lazarus, that He could not save every one whom Satan's power had laid low in death. He had given Himself a ransom for many, even all who would avail themselves of the privilege of coming back to their loyalty to God. (SD 25)
I sensed an intensity of feeling for a few moments while reading these words. I caught a glimpse of intense passion in the weeping eyes of Jesus longing to draw every person into His love and intimacy. His great, frustrated heart yearns for every soul to experience life and thriving in growth and strength, bonding with each other and living in harmony and unselfishness. When I choose to live in loyalty to God, believing in my heart that He cares about me and never wavers in His passion to save me from sin and its effects in my life, I can bring satisfaction to the heart of God. I can lessen the intense pain revealed in the weeping eyes of Jesus at Lazarus's tomb longing to save every person who had been lost to the terrible curse of sin. In the words of Luke 17, I can bring food to the table so the master can eat and be satisfied. And the promise is implicit in the words of verse 8 that afterward I will eat and drink and be satisfied myself.
When spirituality is understood as primarily a relationship of the heart and our relationship to God is viewed through these lenses, all of the Word of God can be perceived and understood in radically new and refreshing ways.
