Psalm 107:9

Psalm 107:9

Thoughts from Jack Affeldt

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“For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.”

Psalm 107:9

Be Still - BTS
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Have you ever had a food or drink craving so bad that the only thing that could satisfy it is that particular item? I’ve been trying to eat healthier lately – choosing better foods over processed foods loaded with sugar. But I’ll be honest, I LOVE donuts. My absolute favorites are from Golden Donuts on Lake Otis, the maple filled triangles. Whoa! They are so sweet and yummy that when I crave one of those, they are the ONLY thing that will satisfy that craving. No matter how hard I try to make Greek yogurt work to fill that void, it just doesn’t. It doesn’t matter if I add fruit and granola to the yogurt – it doesn’t even come close to satisfying that craving.

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Have you ever considered that the void in our soul for God is much the same? No matter what we try to fill it with, only GOD can satisfy. That’s what the psalmist in our verse today is saying. Let’s back up to verse 4, “Some wandered in the desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.”

Be Still - MIR
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So many times, we miss the warning signs of the cravings for God. We wander around lost filling our lives with superfluous busyness or striving or achieving. We reach for stuff, people, money, or food when what we actually need is God. But we miss it, and we keep stuffing those things down, lost wandering in the desert, thinking they are going to satisfy us. And then, before we know it, we are fighting addictions, depression, poor health, weight gain, and relationship problems.

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The word “satisfies” in our passage is the Hebrew word saba. It means to be fulfilled, to have in excess, to have an over abundant supply. When we fill ourselves with God, we can be completely satisfied, unlike when we try to fill ourselves with worldly things.

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When I cave to the cravings of that wonderful donut, I would probably be satisfied with a bite or two. But I want an overabundance of it. I want to be completely filled. But when I do that – when I eat the whole thing – I’m left feeling anything but satisfied. I feel stuffed, which makes me feel a little sick, which makes me re-think eating it, which leads me to regret, which leads me to feeling ashamed, which leads me to beating myself up, which makes me want another one to numb the feelings of shame. UGH! The cycle continues.

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These cycles can be devastating. The cycle of addiction. The cycle of adultery or pornography. The cycle of obesity. These are very real problems in our society. Most of these will go unreported, but looking up the mental health statistics in our country was alarming. For adults, 1 in 5 will experience mental illness. For kids ages 6-14, 1 in 6 will experience mental illness. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-34 (according to the Partnership Development Group).

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Here's the thing – the ONLY thing that will satisfy that God craving – is GOD! There is no amount of money, food, time, or even love from another human being that will fill that void. God created us to crave Him. Paul said in his letter to the Philippians, “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Phil 4:12-13. I can be satisfied IN HIM. I can be full IN HIM. I can have an abundance IN HIM.

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So Be Still IN HIM. Know that He will lead you, fill you, and refresh you in the way that only He can.

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What does that look like? Start with prayer. Ask God to show you where you are trying to fill the God-sized void with stuff, food, money, or people. Ask Him to give you a longing and deep desire for Him. Keep a journal of times He has done just that and look back at it often. Get to know Him by reading His word. If you are new to reading His word or just want help, ACF Church has a Bible Basic class just for you. Email office@acfak.org for more information.

Be Still - EIP
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Father God,

Show me where I put things of this world in the place that You should be. Show me what it looks like to live fully satisfied in You. Help me to remember all the times that you satisfied that longing in me so I can build my faith. And Father, thank You that You created us to long for You – the only true satisfier of our souls!

In Jesus’s name,

AMEN!

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“For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” 

Psalm 107:9

Behind the Scenes

Have you ever had a food or drink craving so bad that the only thing that could satisfy it is that particular item? I’ve been trying to eat healthier lately – choosing better foods over processed foods loaded with sugar. But I’ll be honest, I LOVE donuts. My absolute favorites are from Golden Donuts on Lake Otis, the maple filled triangles. Whoa! They are so sweet and yummy that when I crave one of those, they are the ONLY thing that will satisfy that craving. No matter how hard I try to make Greek yogurt work to fill that void, it just doesn’t. It doesn’t matter if I add fruit and granola to the yogurt – it doesn’t even come close to satisfying that craving.  

Have you ever considered that the void in our soul for God is much the same? No matter what we try to fill it with, only GOD can satisfy. That’s what the psalmist in our verse today is saying. Let’s back up to verse 4, “Some wandered in the desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” 

Make It Real

So many times, we miss the warning signs of the cravings for God. We wander around lost filling our lives with superfluous busyness or striving or achieving. We reach for stuff, people, money, or food when what we actually need is God. But we miss it, and we keep stuffing those things down, lost wandering in the desert, thinking they are going to satisfy us. And then, before we know it, we are fighting addictions, depression, poor health, weight gain, and relationship problems. 

The word “satisfies” in our passage is the Hebrew word saba. It means to be fulfilled, to have in excess, to have an over abundant supply. When we fill ourselves with God, we can be completely satisfied, unlike when we try to fill ourselves with worldly things.  

When I cave to the cravings of that wonderful donut, I would probably be satisfied with a bite or two. But I want an overabundance of it. I want to be completely filled. But when I do that – when I eat the whole thing – I’m left feeling anything but satisfied. I feel stuffed, which makes me feel a little sick, which makes me re-think eating it, which leads me to regret, which leads me to feeling ashamed, which leads me to beating myself up, which makes me want another one to numb the feelings of shame. UGH! The cycle continues.  

These cycles can be devastating. The cycle of addiction. The cycle of adultery or pornography. The cycle of obesity. These are very real problems in our society. Most of these will go unreported, but looking up the mental health statistics in our country was alarming. For adults, 1 in 5 will experience mental illness. For kids ages 6-14, 1 in 6 will experience mental illness. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-34 (according to the Partnership Development Group).  

Here’s the thing – the ONLY thing that will satisfy that God craving – is GOD! There is no amount of money, food, time, or even love from another human being that will fill that void. God created us to crave Him. Paul said in his letter to the Philippians, “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Phil 4:12-13. I can be satisfied IN HIM. I can be full IN HIM. I can have an abundance IN HIM.  

So Be Still IN HIM. Know that He will lead you, fill you, and refresh you in the way that only He can.  

What does that look like? Start with prayer. Ask God to show you where you are trying to fill the God-sized void with stuff, food, money, or people. Ask Him to give you a longing and deep desire for Him. Keep a journal of times He has done just that and look back at it often. Get to know Him by reading His word. If you are new to reading His word or just want help, ACF Church has a Bible Basic class just for you. Email office@acfak.org for more information.  

Colleen McGeorge

Colleen McGeorge

ACF First Impressions and Groups Coordinator

End in Prayer

Father God,  

Show me where I put things of this world in the place that You should be. Show me what it looks like to live fully satisfied in You. Help me to remember all the times that you satisfied that longing in me so I can build my faith. And Father, thank You that You created us to long for You – the only true satisfier of our souls!  

In Jesus’s name, 

AMEN!

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