for they shall be completely satisfied. ~ Matthew 5:6 AMP
I love that the Amplified Bible has it this way “completely satisfied.” Not just, satisfied, not just, they will get what they are hungering after and thirsting for, but they will be completely satisfied. The world preaches that satisfaction comes from evil hungers and desires, but Jesus says, if you hunger for righteousness, you will be satisfied in every area of your life.
It is funny how hard we try to hold onto some of our old stuff, habits, sins, etc. Many a man has stayed away from God for a time, because he did not want to give up some secret sin, and knew that God would never allow it. But the truth is that God invented pleasure, and really knows how to make it work.
David said:
Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; In Thy presence is fullness of joy; In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever. ~ Psalm 16:11
Heaven is a place of complete pleasure like you have never experienced or even imagined. God completely gets you and knows exactly how to satisfy your desires.
During a study of the Song of Solomon, I read the book ‘Seven Longings of the Human Heart’ by Mike Bickle and Deborah Hiebert. These longings are not sin and are not to be repented of. They are not even part of our sin nature. These are all God designed longings and appetites that each of us must manage. We must discover God’s intended means of fulfillment. Bickle details these seven longings, which he says every human has.
» A longing to be fascinated
» A longing to possess and feel beautiful
» A longing to be great and successful
» A longing to know intimacy without shame
» A longing for assurance of being enjoyed
» A longing to be wholehearted and passionate
» A longing to make deep and lasting impact
These longings are often satisfied in unholy ways causing guilt and separation from God and from one another. These unholy actions need to be dealt with specifically in repentance. 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 holds the process of repentance in detail. For a review of the process of repentance, take a look back at “Repentance – the path to Comfort.”
However, because there are so many ways to fulfill these longings that are not glorifying to God, it is easy for us to despise the very longings themselves because we are stuck in a pattern of sin trying to satisfy these God-given needs. Rather than managing them, and directing them with godly wisdom and the Word of God, we try to get free from them or to suppress them. A ‘longing to be great’ can look a lot like pride, and we could try to suppress that drive for greatness that God has put in our soul. Instead, we should look to the Lord for instruction. When the disciples were arguing over who was the greatest, Jesus did not rebuke them but rather pointed them in the right direction, humility, the classic upside-down strategy for Kingdom greatness.
Thanks for coming by today.
More to follow,
Ben
Seven Longings of the Human Heart, by Mike Bickle and Deborah Hiebert.
I needed to read this and continue to need this worked in me, since I have not dealt with the longings well. The example given: longing for greatness and considering it to be pride is typical
What are a couple of examples of how the longing for greatness is practically worked out with humility? There’s freedom tucked in there somewhere. 🙂
Hi Ziggy,
Sorry it’s taken me so long to answer you. I don’t get proper notifications for comments on my blog – I have to work on that.
That’s a great question. I think of how when the boys (Jesus’ disciples, that is) were vying for greatness, left and right-hand positions, etc., Jesus did not rebuke their ambition but refocussed it to serving. He redefines greatness as service, knowing that service demonstrates true greatness. We get this in the natural if we’ll step back and look at a mother in days gone by. She has all the ugly jobs, but no one receives greater love from her sons and daughters, or greater honor, than this servant of all.
We have turned this around and made this servant heart of a mother something to despise because it doesn’t play well with our picture of greatness, and yet, it’s exactly the path Jesus recommends.