Beyond Sunday: God is Enough for the Journey
Catch up: this week’s Sunday morning message.
What satisfies us? Choosing to be satisfied by something or someone other than God will leave us dry and barren, searching for more. God satisfies our deepest needs. Will we trust Him on this journey?
Catch up: this week’s Sunday morning message.
-
00:00:00 [Music] hey everyone welcome to Beyond Sunday this is the podcast where we take the conversation beyond Sunday right now we are in a series called guided journey so before we start this conversation take a look at this video [Music] heat up here [Music] all right on this week we are we're in Psalm 63 but Shay tell us what the big idea for this week is as we're in this middle of Lent season here yeah yeah this week was God is enough for the journey so talking about being satisfied with God yeah the main text
00:01:32 was Psalm 63 and as far as I know that's where you were at and then also looking at some of where the Psalm 63 maybe was coming from when David was writing it yeah mostly 63 and Genesis actually we spent a decent amount of time in the first three chapters of Genesis so which is actually becoming somewhat of a habit i was going to say that's that's part for the course spending a lot of time in the garden lately that's good that's a good place to be well Genesis 3 might be kind of rough yeah it gets a little bit
00:02:04 worse there but Yeah yeah so that's that's where we were you were in 63 mostly yeah yeah 63 and then looking at maybe with a some of the context some of the scribes offering like where was or when was David writing Psalm 63 when was this prayer that he was saying and he's hiding out so it's either in 1 Samuel where he's hiding out from King Saul who's trying to kill him or it seems to be a theme in David's life or it's in 2 Samuel where he has fleeed from Jerusalem from his with
00:02:45 his entire household because his son Absilon has returned to Jerusalem trying to take over the throne and power and all that and wants to eliminate the contest to the throne his very father and so whether it's in 1 Samuel or 2 Samuel David is hiding out in the the the wilderness the hillside the the caves in Judah and and in spec specifically 1 Samuel says he's he's hiding out in the hills in the caves in the forest of of Judah around the Dead Sea and and Getty which there are just valleys and valleys
00:03:25 and valleys where just caves are carved out in the hillside side and would be really hard to find actually unless you knew where you were looking because you would just have to go from cave to cave and and to try to find him but what we read in 1 Samuel is that King Saul just kept trying to pursue him with his men couldn't find him and then the Philistines invade and so they've got to leave and go fight off that in invasion incursion and leave David until he's until they do that and then they
00:03:52 return to come try to find him again and so he's just continually running for his life there and then also in 2 Samuel he's fleeing from his own son in fact to that point where all of Abselon's men are are trying to find him including Absel and and even David telling his generals like if you come upon him do not do not kill him abselon that is don't kill Absel and they take matters into their own hands and he ends up killing him that David is like mourning the death of his son even though his son has been trying to hunt
00:04:25 him down and kill him so that he can take the rightful as a rightful heir of the throne so in both of those cases we find ourselves reading and diving into Psalm 63 and when we know that context I I read Psalm 63 especially the first seven [Music] yeah seven verses or eight verses i read it differently it now becomes like if you know the context of where David's at when he's writing it I I don't read it the same i don't pray it the same it becomes something of a I don't know even when even when I
00:05:05 I'm life is hard or the storm is swirling is this my prayer right right yeah we talked about that we talked about those things too because regardless of which of those situations the words David chooses to write are probably not the words I'm us using in either of those spaces but also recognizing that that that comes from that doesn't come in that moment that comes from David recognizing prior to that where his satisfaction comes from like he knows the thing I want more than anything
00:05:45 right now Lord is you in the and I'm thinking like if I'm there the thing I want more than anything is like safety protection maybe even just some like some comforts in the wilderness because I'm probably hungry and I don't know that I'd do well in the wilderness but he's like I'd take an army and yeah something anything could I get a coffee out here i don't know like some kind of something and David's like "More than anything else I want you." and so that comes that comes from a deep knowing or
00:06:17 understanding of what he was designed to be fulfilled by I think which is why we were in the garden because I I just I recognized the the relationship between desire and satisfaction if we don't desire something if there isn't desire there's no need for satisfaction so those two things have to coexist and so then with that in mind as I think about like where am I looking for satisfaction and where am I what what are the things I'm desiring then that it's it's glaringly obvious that
00:06:52 actually in Genesis that is the like that that kind of is the issue right is desire misplaced desire outside of what what we were designed to desire and we see it Eve's like even her statement the it's in three I don't have the actual verses listed here but in the beginning of chapter 3 it's like the woman was convinced which didn't take a lot of convincing but then it's like she saw the tree was beautiful the fruit looked delicious and she wanted the wisdom it would give her and it's like instantly desire for
00:07:25 something else enters the scene because up till that point they've been completely satisfied everything's taken care of every garden is enough all over yep it's all perfect and in that moment she sees the tree in a new light and is like I think I do want that and so I just recognize like in myself where are the moments where maybe I'm like God you're enough you're enough and then I'm like oh I think I do i think I want that look at look at how delicious look at look at how great that looks and so yeah
00:07:56 for for me trying to figure out like okay are there places where I'm looking for satisfaction somewhere else that starts with what what am I desiring and I think we see that even in Psalm 63 in in the way right isn't that how he starts it right oh God you are my God i earnestly I seek you my soul thirsts for you my body longs for you and in a dry weary land where there is no water right even starts with desire i desire you God right yeah well and I think that that's I mean I I think that's the story of
00:08:24 hanity that's from that moment that is the wrestle like what are we desiring God which is what we're designed to desire right so the whole beginning of Genesis when it talks about the way hanity is created it's all about in his image with his breath like all of those things tying us to the creator so is that where we're seeking fulfillment and satisfaction or am I looking for it in we we would use the language empire but am I looking for it in any other place answer yes frequently for hanity right and I
00:08:56 think That's even I I guess part of what struck me with the garden story this time was even recognizing like I think that's a bigger part of the problem i think we teach I I was taught this story like the issue is they disobeyed i said don't do this you did it anywhere now you're out of the garden but in the end of chapter 3 God's like they they've become like us and now they know this and what if they reach out and what if they take fruit from this other from from this tree we can get into all that but what if they take
00:09:28 fruit from this tree that isn't for them it isn't for them it isn't for them right now and what he's talking about is desire what if they desire something and they're trying to spill their desire or be satisfied with something that I don't have for them right now which is the arc of it is the arc of that story even if you go past the garden to Cain and Abel right desiring approval attention whatever from God Cain's not getting it abel is and and then that shifts to like well now I'm going to get I'm just
00:09:59 going to take it i'm going to get rid of my competition so that I can have this what I desire of approval of like whatever Cain was wanting in that moment to then even all the way through to to Tower of Babel like we're going to we're going to reach we're going to build this structure and reach this reach the heavens reach the skies well I would bet that we could take every major story and we could find that right i mean we see it in Jacob we see it in Abraham like we see it in Noah like we could see it all the way through
00:10:31 in all of those spaces where there's like I want that i'm going to take it or and whatever the it is i want I want control i want safety i want whatever and then we could see it in our own stories as well right and so with that understanding first of all it's like okay so where is my desire but then also for me that recognition of how good is God to know that the only thing that could consistently and constantly satisfy me the only thing that is steadfast enough to not change or move or go away is him
00:11:10 and that's how he desired or designed me wired me to be fulfilled because everything else everything else fades or goes away because there's moments right there's moments in life where I'm like I'm feeling pretty satisfied right now things are good my my family's healthy we had a good day like even this weekend we got to be together our my family with your family and there's moments through that whole weekend that's like this is great like I I'm satisfied right now being together whatever but also knowing that those
00:11:42 things are fleeting and the one thing that isn't and doesn't is him yeah and to the point where like we're full we're we're we're completely satisfied completely full like it there isn't a spot that doesn't God isn't desiring to fill or to complete in us and and and how we were designed for that right the the goodness of God his to that in hanity it was very good as he created this created the world and and everything and it and us and and in in us like I've created you that I would fill you that I would and as we we see
00:12:20 that through the story of scripture that you know God God's like look I put this garden here I'm going to put you in it and and then you know be fruitful multiply you'll fill what I've created and then that doesn't go well then then they they erect the tabernacle and in the tabernacle with Moses and they're wandering in the in the in the wilderness in the desert and goes you know here's here's how you're going to build this tabernacle this tent and and I'm you're going to
00:12:51 build it and I'm going to put my spirit in it in fact we see and reading scripture so much of God's spirit was in it was they couldn't even enter in right and so this like God they build it God will fill it to the point where with with and through Jesus we now are are the the temple right the temple of God that God's spirit will fill so now God has created this thing right this body and desires for his spirit to fill it and fill it to completion to like fullness one of the things that came to mind this
00:13:30 morning is as I was praying in in devotion was like is this like and I don't know if this is for you but for me when I eat like a a pasta meal like a pasta dinner u spaghetti whatever I eat it and you mean 10day old lasagna okay well no not that no like just after we're eating pasta I sometimes what happens to me is that I am hungry quickly is that is it just me that's what happens after I eat Chinese food but not pasta not like Italian pasta okay but after So after a meal whatever
00:14:12 it happens to be for me it's like a spaghetti i'll go spaghetti i eat that meal's great i've had enough the portion was enough and maybe in some cases too much but then I find myself not too long after like within an hour or less I'm like man I'm I'm kind of hungry why i'm Why am I hungry i just had dinner i'm hungry again but this idea of like you know I ate a meal i should be satisfied i should be full right i don't need to snack i'm on to the my body's got enough nutrients and it should be satisfied and
00:14:50 yet my brain or my stomach is like "Nope I need more." Yeah yeah so speaking of food analogies because the thing that that came to mind for me the other the other piece of this once we've found the thing that satisfies our soul right so God God is the thing that satisfies us when we talk about the desire satisfaction relationship that also doesn't mean I'm done desiring and I was thinking you'll you'll appreciate this because I know you love guacamole almost as much maybe more than I do i don't even
00:15:28 know actually probably more than I do that's not true i do know that cuz I I will share and you don't so one time I don't share except for the I did actually didn't I offer no you aggressively didn't share that's the difference I was so anticipating this guacamole but it's that's the very guacamole that I talked about i actually did talk about this yesterday because here's what I know like I would say that that is my favorite hands down from that like guacamole from that restaurant is the best that I've ever had and I've had
00:16:04 a lot of guacamole so I do not feel like I need to search the world over to find the best guacamole anymore like if I think I want I want that that's what I want but that doesn't mean that I don't want to have it ever again like it doesn't mean that I'm done desiring that so I found the thing that satisfies that craving but it doesn't mean that I'm not that I don't want it anymore and so likewise like yeah I this idea of David like "Oh God you're my search for you my soul longs thirst for you my body longs
00:16:34 for you." Like it's not that David doesn't have God or hasn't been satisfied by God or isn't currently in God's presence and and being filled and satisfied by him in those moments but it's that idea of like I have found that thing and I just keep wanting it like I want more and more of it or like you know those those moments I'm eating is so good but I cannot take another bite or I will be sick but I I still want to have it like I'm full but I still want to have it that it's that kind of idea and and I think that's what we
00:17:06 see in Psalm 63 like as I read that I can see David I mean we can we can even separate those verses out but he's like God is what he desires god is what he depends on that those that next verse and then we see him express gratitude which even that like as I talk about the things as I talk about this delicious guacamole like that's what I want right now i'd like to have some guacamole so the more I talk about this God that satisfies the more I'm like "Yes I want more of you God." Right and just all
00:17:37 those things we can see David being content and me meditating on God and all those and so the we we know God is who is what satisfies that's what we've been designed to be satisfied by but that doesn't mean we don't continue to desire and depend and meditate and all of those things and in that that we don't continue to just be full and full and full and full yeah yeah full and complete i mean also like maybe consed because what comes to mind here is like Aubrey shared beautiful beautiful story and testimony
00:18:15 from what she was hearing from God the week before what she even alluded to scripture- wise was Exodus 3 and the burning bush that I wonder if too if that's even for us the the that bush is burning and it's catching the attention of Moses but also with that bush it's burning but it's not consed the fire is not consing it and I wonder if that's even this kind of way of being satisfied by God that we are full up and and and and maybe reflecting the glory of God because I even see like
00:18:45 yeah as as David there in verse two speaks of his dependence of God i've seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory that even in that way like we we are we are created to be satisfied by God to to be filled by God and by his spirit and and in that way but we're also not we're like reflecting his glory but not consed by it like keep he keeps desiring to fill and fill and fill and that was a that was a chyros for me this last week of like Devon if you're going
00:19:20 my way if you're going the way that God is directing am I not enough have I not have I not created in you enough to be going my way in these ways and will I not keep being enough as you behold me as you hold on to me as you look at me as you are are are yeah offering the gratitude and the praise and and reflecting on my desire for more and more of God that am I not enough Neon have I not made you enough am am I not enough and and then made a way for you to walk this way and and so that was
00:20:02 a good chyros for me this week to like just oh yeah that I don't have to fear Yeah the glory of God or like the bush being on fire yet not being consed like yeah I don't have to fear I don't have to fear God desires wants to be yeah his fullness I he wants that for me and in me and and for me to that's what created you for it yes right the very in the very intention here's what I've created you for yeah yeah and when you are filled when you are satisfied that's to that's the tove we talk about right
00:20:41 to the goodness goodness because you are fulfilling the purpose for which you've been created which is to be filled by him yeah that's good all right we've covered the whole of scripture here this arc of the story in this one of of Psalm 63 but what as we wrap this up today what would you say is Chyros from Sunday and what are you hearing from God and and how are you being invited to respond yeah I think so so so one of the things we did at the end of of the message time yesterday we had sheets
00:21:23 of paper that listed out some of those things so it took Psalm 63 and the things that we see David do in there and just ask the question like what am what am I desiring and what am I depending on and am I showing gratitude where where am I seeking contentment those kinds of things and we took some some response or reflective time to actually like write those things down like like if we hadn't just heard this message when I walked in here today how do I answer these questions and then and then to like throw those
00:21:59 away in that space and and then walk out with Psalm 63 and and those God being what we desire and so in that in that exercise or that reflection time the the idea of what I'm meditating on is the thing that I think God's speaking to me because I was distracted yesterday morning before service not not necessarily anything that's that was even a big deal i just found myself like in my in my headsp space distracted a specific thing that just kept like I just kept thinking it through and running it through my
00:22:36 mind and so then even in that space after I've preached this whole message right and we're doing this reflection and response and I'm just sitting here thinking like yeah what am I meditating on and and in in a maybe not a conscious way but am I am I trying to be filled or satisfied if I can just think through this and and I just like I just keep thinking about this thing and so I think that for me this week God's like pay attention to what you're thinking pay attention to where your
00:23:07 thoughts are sitting and yeah yeah that's that's I don't know that's the thing I'm sitting with right now good gosh that's good good kyros good reminders i think for me we did a practice during the our time of of worship and music Devin had given three three psalms for the congregation those in the in the sanctuary to to read and read through priority even when we started our service and then as we're in in singing he takes a moment to stop and go now read that psalm aloud and so we've got
00:23:50 in the sanctuary three different parts of the sanctuary reading three different psalms and and and we were reading Psalm 24 my section and so then we were all reading it before before we even started service and reading the psalm to ourselves and then in the middle of that we're reading it out loud and all these voices just echoing into the into the sanctuary was a beautiful thing but also I'm standing next to my youngest son and I read the psalm Psalm 24 and then I ask my youngest do
00:24:25 you want to read it and he goes yeah so then he starts reading it and then we're into you know more of the music and and worshiping but it was some of even that idea of medit meditate meditate on the Lord and this psalm was a a really good one that I even coming back to to be reminded of that it asks a couple questions in the beginning and then it asks us some different questions at the end and like okay maybe these are these are good meditating ones to meditate on the Lord but in Psalm 24
00:24:55 it says the earth is the Lord's and everything in it the world and all who live in it for he founded upon the seas and established upon the waters and here's the first question who may ascend the hill of the Lord who may stand in his holy place it goes on to answer some of that and then it calls us gates and to lift our heads up and and then it finishes with these questions here at the end in verse 8 it says "Who is the king of glory the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in
00:25:26 battle lift up your heads O gates lift them up you ancient doors that the King of glory may come in." Who is the King of glory the Lord almighty he is the King of glory so for me that just that idea of meditating on the Lord that this psalm and then also having my my son read it as well was a beautiful sight to behold and and a wonderful experience and then also that encouragement to like meditate on this who is the Lord right who is the king of glory the Lord almighty the king of glory and that that be one of those
00:26:02 like a breath prayer that just becomes repeated through the day this this is who I am right be reminded of that and and and may your heart be strengthened and encouraged that this is who God is and this is who I get to be filled by every moment of the day there isn't any moment that God doesn't desire to fill my soul and to and to and that it would be complete in the fullness of God it would keep pouring in and keep pouring in and so yeah that is my chyros that just that this Psalm 24 but like the breath prayer
00:26:46 and be reminded of of God's goodness and then and how he even looks at me how God looks upon me yeah it's good all right that's so good so God's enough god satisfies thanks for joining us in this conversation we hope that these are the conversations you're having we we look forward to getting to to just wrestle through some of what God's been teaching us and showing us not because we preached the message but because we've spent time in the word and so we hope that you likewise are
00:27:15 having conversations like these that take you beyond beyond Sunday morning so have a wonderful week and we'll see you next time take care [Music]
