Be Satisfied

Good evening, friends!
You know that feeling when your day doesn't go at all how you planned it would, but it turns out that you are so grateful it didn't?!  That's how I felt this morning.  I woke up at the crack of dawn thinking a class I needed to attend was at 5:30 a.m. ... and it turns out that it is that early TOMORROW morning!  Silly silly me.  But because of my early start, I got to spend a much needed, extended quiet time with Jesus.  I'm reading through the book of Joshua right now and today I came across this verse: "To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance.  The offerings by fire to the Lord God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to him." (Joshua 13:14)

To the Levite tribe, it probably didn't seem like much of an inheritance.  I know that if I were in their shoes, I would feel more than a little twinge of jealousy watching the other tribes enjoy their vast portions of the land of Canaan that God gave to them.  I would be tempted to say, "What?!  You gave them that and You're expecting me to be content with this: a future of offering up sacrifices to You on behalf of our nation?"  It must not have been the ending so many of them had imagined.

I feel that society today has given young women my age the mistaken impression that their inheritance will be whatever "happily ever after" they envision for themselves.  Finding the perfect guy.  Getting the dream career they wanted since elementary school.  Having the white house with the picket fence, 2.2 children, and a yard with a dog in it.  Fill in the blank with whatever your happy ending is, and chances are you're pretty positive that it is how your story will somehow play out.

That's how I felt, too, until reading this verse.  What if my inheritance from the Lord isn't the "happily ever after" I had envisioned for myself?  What if it doesn't involve a husband, kids, or my dream job?  What if it's being single, never making enough money to be approved for an adoption, and ending up in a foreign country I never pictured myself in?  When I thought about these "less than ideal" scenarios I never wanted to consider might actually be true of my life, I asked myself, "Would I still be content?  If my inheritance does turn out to be one of sacrifice, how would I respond?"

And in that moment, I have never been more sure of anything than I was with my answer.  Yes.  I realized that whatever God has in store for my inheritance is the thing that will bring Him the most glory.  And when I thought about it, everything else seemed incredibly inferior and insignificant.  If God created me with the purpose of glorifying Himself, why would I not want to do that?  Because if it's what I was created to do, nothing else except for that unique calling will bring me satisfaction or fulfillment.

And God is good!  He knows the desires of my heart.  At this point, He might have some changin' to do on my heart's desires if the inheritance He has in store for me is that of a single, childless woman in an alien country...but I'm pretty sure He's big enough and quite capable of doing that if He needs to.

A few years ago, one of my closest friends shared a poem with me that one of her mentor's had given her.  Every time I read it, it helps me regain focus and catch sight of the only One who should have my heart.  For Him, I am willing to sacrifice everything else because He alone is worthy of glory.

Be Satisfied

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone

And have a deep and lasting relationship with one another

To be loved thoroughly and exclusively

But God, to the Christian, says “No,

Not until you are satisfied with being loved by Me alone

And have an intensely personal, unique relationship with Me alone.

I love you, My child, and until you discover that only in Me

Is your satisfaction, you will not be capable of that perfect

Human relationship that I have planned for you.

I want you to stop planning, stop wanting, and allow Me to

Give you the most thrilling plan existing – one that you cannot imagine.

Please allow me to bring it to you.

Just keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things.

Keep experiencing and listening to the things I tell you.

You must wait.

Do not be anxious, don’t worry.

Don’t look around at the things others have gotten,

Or that I have given to them.

Just keep looking at Me or you will miss what I have to show.

And when you are ready, I will surprise you with a love more wonderful

Than you have ever dreamed of.

You see, until you are both ready at the same time,

Until you are both satisfied with Me

And the life I have prepared for you,

You will not be able to experience the love that exemplifies

The everlasting union of beauty and love.

I am God.

Believe and be satisfied!”

Have a lovely rest of the week...and enjoy being SATISFIED in Christ.

Amber Noel