Living Free by Beth Moore
Lesson 4: To Find Satisfaction in God
THE GOD WHO SATISFIES
When have you been disappointed by something that you expected to bring deep satisfaction? ___________________________
God intends for us to find satisfaction in Him-complete, lasting, soul-quenching, emptiness-filling satisfaction.
AGREE OR DISAGREE: Many Christians are not satisfied with Jesus.
Definition: Soul
1. the non material part of us
2. soul hunger, our need for spiritual satisfaction
Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine, and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. (Isaiah 55:1-2)
What do we often falsely believe? _______________________
Why do we work so hard for things that can never fill us up? ___________
When looking for satisfaction in the wrong places we not only doom our own selves to failure but we become dangerous to others. How? _________________
God never intended any other earthly relationship to fulfill our deepest needs.
You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise His holy name forever and ever. (Psalms 145:16-21)
A crucial part of fleshing out our liberation in Christ means allowing Him to fill our empty places.
Do activities play a role in our satisfaction? ______________________
Satisfaction comes only from a soul full of Jesus.
Does satisfaction accompany salvation? ________________________
What is the difference between salvation from sin and satisfaction of soul? ________________________________________
THE HEART'S CRY
Meaningless! Meaningless! Says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 4)
According to King Solomon, what is the universal human condition? _________
Things we often look to trying to satisfy our deep, inner longings...
job/career marriage children hobbies
money success fame security
reputation beauty relationships control
power admiration approval drugs/alcohol
You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth, and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. (Nehemiah 9:6)
In our road to freedom, we have already studied together that unbelief and pride for the first two obstacles. The third obstacle is: settling for satisfaction with anything else. This practice is called: idolatry.
Anything we try to put in a place where God belongs is an idol.
The mystery...why would be trade God for worthless idols that we know can never satisfy?
Simple goals:
1) Recognize that only God can satisfy
2) Unmask the false gods to which we are drawn
3) Confess our unfaithfulness and seek only Him.
My Father, I acknowledge that You are the Lord Almighty. You are the first and You are the last, and apart from You there is no other God. Make me witness to the fact that there is no other Rock but You. Enable me to say with full assurance, "I know not one". (Isaiah 44:6,8)
A PICTURE OF SATISFACTION
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Psalms 63:1)
Your love is better than life. My lips will glorify you. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods. (Psalms 63:3,5)
How do we know when we are hungry or thirsty? _____________________
How do we know when we are spiritually hungry or thirsty? What signals does our spiritual nature give? When does our spirit growl for spiritual food? _________
Sense of inner emptiness Inability to be satisfied Irritability
Selfish ambition Impure thoughts Envy
Resentments Eruptions of lust Anger
Long periods of missing spiritual food, refreshment
AGREE OR DISAGREE: The more we've been satisfied by God's love, God's Word, God's presence, the more we will yearn for it. If we stay away from God for long periods of time, we might no longer feel hungry.
BLESSED DISSATISFACTION:
How can dissatisfaction be positive? ______________________
Dissatisfaction is only a terrible thing when we don't let it lead us to Christ.
Removing idols from our lives is often not easy to do. We have latched on to some of them for years. Only God's power can make them budge. We must begin to remove idols by choosing to recognize their existence and admit their inability to keep us satisfied.
What deductions can we make from the following? ___________________
Not feedinging our bodies properly in an attempt to achieve a desired appearance
Avoiding medical care because of fear
Working excessive hours to achieve wealth
Sacrificing needed sleep to watch late-night TV
He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, "Is not this thig in my right hand a lie?" (Isaiah 44:20)
Paraphrase: ____________________________________
Whatever we are gripping to bring us satisfaction is a lie...unless it is Christ.
CELEBRATING GOD'S "GODNESS":
What happens if I say, "I'm not going to do that anymore"? ______________
Practice praying God's word. Scripture points us to the satisfaction we can find only in God. This practice recognizes the "Godness" of God and helps us break from strongholds.
1. Every stronghold involves the worship of some kind of idol.
Pride leads to the worship of __________
Addiction...______________________
2. As long as our minds rehearse the strength of our stronghold more than the strength of God, we will be impotent. As we pray the Word of God, we acknowledge his limitless strength and dominion. Truth will begin to eclipse the lies. We will realize that in our weakness He is strong. God is more than able to deliver us.
3. We will develop a more accurate perception of God.
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. (Psalm 90:14)
Lesson 4: To Find Satisfaction in God
THE GOD WHO SATISFIES
When have you been disappointed by something that you expected to bring deep satisfaction? ___________________________
God intends for us to find satisfaction in Him-complete, lasting, soul-quenching, emptiness-filling satisfaction.
AGREE OR DISAGREE: Many Christians are not satisfied with Jesus.
Definition: Soul
1. the non material part of us
2. soul hunger, our need for spiritual satisfaction
Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine, and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. (Isaiah 55:1-2)
What do we often falsely believe? _______________________
Why do we work so hard for things that can never fill us up? ___________
When looking for satisfaction in the wrong places we not only doom our own selves to failure but we become dangerous to others. How? _________________
God never intended any other earthly relationship to fulfill our deepest needs.
You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise His holy name forever and ever. (Psalms 145:16-21)
A crucial part of fleshing out our liberation in Christ means allowing Him to fill our empty places.
Do activities play a role in our satisfaction? ______________________
Satisfaction comes only from a soul full of Jesus.
Does satisfaction accompany salvation? ________________________
What is the difference between salvation from sin and satisfaction of soul? ________________________________________
THE HEART'S CRY
Meaningless! Meaningless! Says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 4)
According to King Solomon, what is the universal human condition? _________
Things we often look to trying to satisfy our deep, inner longings...
job/career marriage children hobbies
money success fame security
reputation beauty relationships control
power admiration approval drugs/alcohol
You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth, and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. (Nehemiah 9:6)
In our road to freedom, we have already studied together that unbelief and pride for the first two obstacles. The third obstacle is: settling for satisfaction with anything else. This practice is called: idolatry.
Anything we try to put in a place where God belongs is an idol.
The mystery...why would be trade God for worthless idols that we know can never satisfy?
Simple goals:
1) Recognize that only God can satisfy
2) Unmask the false gods to which we are drawn
3) Confess our unfaithfulness and seek only Him.
My Father, I acknowledge that You are the Lord Almighty. You are the first and You are the last, and apart from You there is no other God. Make me witness to the fact that there is no other Rock but You. Enable me to say with full assurance, "I know not one". (Isaiah 44:6,8)
A PICTURE OF SATISFACTION
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Psalms 63:1)
Your love is better than life. My lips will glorify you. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods. (Psalms 63:3,5)
How do we know when we are hungry or thirsty? _____________________
How do we know when we are spiritually hungry or thirsty? What signals does our spiritual nature give? When does our spirit growl for spiritual food? _________
Sense of inner emptiness Inability to be satisfied Irritability
Selfish ambition Impure thoughts Envy
Resentments Eruptions of lust Anger
Long periods of missing spiritual food, refreshment
AGREE OR DISAGREE: The more we've been satisfied by God's love, God's Word, God's presence, the more we will yearn for it. If we stay away from God for long periods of time, we might no longer feel hungry.
BLESSED DISSATISFACTION:
How can dissatisfaction be positive? ______________________
Dissatisfaction is only a terrible thing when we don't let it lead us to Christ.
Removing idols from our lives is often not easy to do. We have latched on to some of them for years. Only God's power can make them budge. We must begin to remove idols by choosing to recognize their existence and admit their inability to keep us satisfied.
What deductions can we make from the following? ___________________
Not feedinging our bodies properly in an attempt to achieve a desired appearance
Avoiding medical care because of fear
Working excessive hours to achieve wealth
Sacrificing needed sleep to watch late-night TV
He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, "Is not this thig in my right hand a lie?" (Isaiah 44:20)
Paraphrase: ____________________________________
Whatever we are gripping to bring us satisfaction is a lie...unless it is Christ.
CELEBRATING GOD'S "GODNESS":
What happens if I say, "I'm not going to do that anymore"? ______________
Practice praying God's word. Scripture points us to the satisfaction we can find only in God. This practice recognizes the "Godness" of God and helps us break from strongholds.
1. Every stronghold involves the worship of some kind of idol.
Pride leads to the worship of __________
Addiction...______________________
2. As long as our minds rehearse the strength of our stronghold more than the strength of God, we will be impotent. As we pray the Word of God, we acknowledge his limitless strength and dominion. Truth will begin to eclipse the lies. We will realize that in our weakness He is strong. God is more than able to deliver us.
3. We will develop a more accurate perception of God.
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. (Psalm 90:14)
posted by Andrew Brown at 8:16 PM
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