Where Do You Find True Satisfaction?

October 28, 2022

By Brooke Holt

“Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed. O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!” Psalm 65:1-4

What things stir your heart to praise? This morning, the wind was blowing, and the sun was shining, but it was neither hot nor was it cold. I found myself praising God for the day, the weather, the beauty of it all. God made us to praise; it is a good and right thing to do but far too often we praise people who excel in sports, academics, or in the arts instead of the one who created those people and instilled them with gifts.

David wrote Psalm 65 as a model of praise, and that praise begins with God. David recognizes that God is the true God. He is the only one worthy to commit one’s vows for God. David understands that God is the one who hears the prayers of his people and the only one who can truly atone for the sins of his people. David praises the Lord and then encourages all people to do the same. For David recognizes that the people of God who draw close to him are those who are truly blessed.

What are the blessings that David alludes to here? The very thing we all seem to be in search of these days – true satisfaction. David has found that it is in God alone that he can find complete satisfaction --satisfaction for his heart, mind, and spirit. Surely David enjoyed many blessings in this world; yet it was in God alone that he found his soul’s satisfaction. Thus, David loved to be in the presence of the Lord; he loved to partake of God’s holiness in the temple.

Do you recognize that you will never find true satisfaction for your body, mind, and spirit outside of God? Do you recognize your transgressions as David did and your need for atonement? Do you believe that God listens to every one of your prayers, that he hears the deep cries of your heart? When you acknowledge all that God is and all that he has done on your behalf, you can’t help but praise him.

May we come to the Lord today seeking true satisfaction and then may our lives become songs of praise to him!

Reflection:

What are you praising these days? You praise those things in which your heart most delights. Take some time to allow the Lord to search your heart today. We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Related Resource:

Follow the ancient way of the Psalms and find the life God has for you. A model for vibrant worship, the Psalms provide practical wisdom to traverse the circuitous path of life with trust and hope. Pilgrim’s Path: A Study of the Psalms traces our spiritual walk with God—from discovery and delight, through doubt and disappointment, into joyful confidence. Whether used for individual or group study, Pilgrim’s Path is for everyone who seeks to know and love God more and find life in him.