To serve the Lord is an incredible emotion. Many are the emotions that man has in his life, but none are comparable to the emotion that serves the Lord. In fact, a man’s emotions describe him to the world that surrounds him. It is true that a child of God must serve God in all manners of his life. Yet, not all children of God serve Him in the manner He desires. That not all His children serve Him is not new in the present church, but has been present since the time God chose a nation for Himself. Many have been called by God in His mercy and not all have been able to serve Him potently. God still continues to call men and women to Him, and from the nature of the present churches only a few are present serving Him. Only those who serve the Lord know the incredible kind of emotion it demands. It is satisfaction.
As common as the word ‘satisfaction’ is used amongst us, it is beyond the nomenclature that men place it in. One thing Christians must realize is that it is man’s nature to never be satisfied. No matter the field of his work and the goodness it brings he always longs for more. He is tuned to define satisfaction as that which lies farther than what he has already achieved or that which is yet to be achieved. This is primarily because he does not possess the views and ways of God. He does not possess them, since it is not given him to possess them. It is not given him, since he is not serving God or his mind is not set to serve Him in all manners of his life.
This brings us to the core of today’s discussion. To be satisfied or satisfaction is the key to potently serving the Lord. Now, it is to be noted that one does not achieve a satisfaction that is imperishable unless he or she is first supplied by the Lord. In other words, by what the Lord supplies us we realize the meaning or nature of satisfaction. This satisfaction is the source for serving the Lord. For man belonging to the flesh has lost the meaning of satisfaction. All that is in the world does not allow him to understand satisfaction. And, he who has the heart of man will not recognize the things supplied by God. “The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness” (Exod. 16:2). Therefore, they were unable to serve the Lord; their bodies lay in the wilderness. They were not blessed further. It is to serve the Lord God that they were called out of the house of slavery; a service that would make them the sons of God. They were incredibly supplied by God in more ways than one could imagine that they may receive the imperishable satisfaction. Nonetheless, when their hearts were like that of men, they could not define the satisfaction that teaches the emotion of serving the Lord. They have missed the opportunity to experience firsthand the emotion that leads to serving the Lord. It is for this reason that men must rely on the calling of God alone lest they become like those lying in the wilderness.
Two things are noted. Unless the called obtain satisfaction from the Lord, they do not possess the emotion to serve Him. This satisfaction that appears through His works has a profound effect on those who keep it. The reason for the necessity of such an emotion is that it alone is able to make men stand in awe of Him. While everything in the world around them made them think all is customary, the works of God that supplies them invoke their senses to understand the presence of the almighty God. Then, their thoughts will not be of the flesh, but according to what God supplied. This leads them to become pure for God. How wonderful is the plan of God toward the perishing men! It is for this reason He is able to desire that all must be saved. Because He can perform, He knew He could save all men when they rely on His calling alone. “David said to Achish, ‘Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.’ So Achish said to David, ‘Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life’” (1 Sam. 28:2).
Had not David relied on the calling of God alone, he would not have survived in the land of the Philistines. He sojourned in the places where God led him and performed works according to His calling. What astounding things can we learn from the things that were written aforetime! Not only do we learn of David who walked after God, but more importantly of the God who called him and did not forsake him who constantly served Him by the satisfaction he received. David was blessed from time to time. If David was running away from his own people to keep his life, what are the odds for him to live in the land of the enemy? Even in the land that was once the home of Goliath whom he killed? Yet, it was not the credit of David to have survived through such ordeals, but of the Lord God Whom he served. For this reason, I say to the churches that call themselves Christians that if you have not received from the Lord to know the kind of emotion serving Him demands, you will never own the life He supplies. You are constantly failing to serve Him in every manner of your life. “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things” (Prov. 15:28).
Unless and until you become righteous by believing the Lord God, you have not found the way to obtain an answer for failing to serve Him. When you hear that God is able to call you through His word to satisfy you, believe. You will find His righteousness in you. This righteousness is not obtained mathematically. It is not obtained by a calculation made by those who preach the gospel in the flesh. It is not the Telepathy that men speak about. It is God gifting His image to you, since you believed. It is the work of God’s Spirit in you to serve Him. Because you believed, God supplied to you with His works through righteousness that you should first be satisfied. As you ponder how you should please God, His righteousness in you will provide you with all the answers necessary to serve Him in every manner of your life. Have you not then set your mind to serve Him according to His desire? However, those who have ignored the word of God and the calling that comes to men from it will only speak evil. Since they do not possess the imperishable satisfaction, they do not know any other way. Pity the men that are not satisfied by the Lord! Can they take part in this elation? “Break forth, shout joyfully together, you waste places of Jerusalem; For the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem” (Isa. 52:9).
Ah, the joy to those satisfied by the Lord! They who were good for nothing have amazingly become the good of the Lord. When the Lord subdues the sin, our enemy, in us and the keepers of sin around us, we who have been weak are made strong. The result is comfort or satisfaction. Now, our serving the Lord yields incorruptible wreath. To break forth and shout joyfully is possible only when the Lord first supplies us for redemption. Envisage the joy that broke forth when God hurled the Egyptians into the Red Sea. Moses, Aaron and the men of Israel were singing praises to God followed by Miriam and her hordes. When what they had not imagined appeared before them, they were in awe of God. And, the Lord God opined the same emotion through the prophet for Jerusalem that has been crumbled under the bondage of sin that led to slavery. He sent His image i.e. His Son that they are redeemed. And when Christ Jesus came performing the will and works of God, those who believed and were in awe of God broke forth and shouted joyfully. What is the advantage to the gentiles? In every way just as it was to them. The same redemption is made possible to gentiles who are also the waste places. He who believes will receive it and unbelievers will be hurled to punishment because of their multitude of sins. Listen to the patience of God – “Thus says the LORD, ‘For three transgressions of Tyre and for four I will not revoke its punishment, because they delivered up an entire population to Edom and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood’” (Amos 1:9).
If you have not received it, then the one who has been satisfied by the Lord is greater than you in all aspects. By whom is the covenant of brotherhood made possible to men that call themselves Christians? Is it not by Jesus Christ the Lord? God through Christ has called all men alike to Him to be His sons. And, it is only those that relied on His call alone that were satisfied and they are in the covenant of brotherhood. But when some have begun finding fault with those who have been satisfied and with the manner in which God satisfies the called, they have regarded the gospel as foolishness. What is the outcome? The foolishness of God which is wiser than their fault finding is able to save the believing. What they called weak and found fault is indeed the strong. They have missed the opportunity to experience firsthand the incredible emotion that leads to serving the Lord. Alas, they are leading multitudes of people in sin. They and their hordes are not the redeemed until they too are gifted by God with His image, “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Tit. 2:14).
Pragmatically speaking, have you been redeemed from every lawless deed and are performing good works, since you have become God’s own possession? This is the bottom line for all who claim to be Christians and gather together as the church. If you are able to demonstrate to God that His giving Himself to redeem you was indeed not foolishness, you are doing well. God shall bless you in more ways than some. You shall continue to be awe of Him. Your mind is set to serve Him according to His desire. Only do not forget that God redeemed you and satisfied you through many accusations. “They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward” (Matt. 26:60).