Satisfaction
When I was a young girl, my family would sometimes have Sunday dinner at various relatives on my mom’s side. On those occasions, we would begin the meal with a common prayer, which everyone spoke in unison:
Come Lord Jesus,
Be our guest,
And let these gifts
To us be blest. Amen
We prayed this in our own home before meals, so it wasn’t odd to me. But what was different was when we ate at these relatives’ homes, before we could be excused from the table, we ended the meal with this prayer:
The eyes of all wait upon thee (O Lord); and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. Amen.
Psalm 145:15-16 {KJV}
Even as a very young girl, I was able to recite this along with everyone else at the table. It is a prayer of trust, and confidence in the God who is a generous provider, and who grants satisfaction to His people. (I have it in King James Version, and added “O Lord”, because that is how we said it.) While I never practiced this prayer at the end of a meal in my home, I love it as it gives an intriguing illustration of God.
As I read this prayer, I can visualize several images. I imagine a gathering of people, such as those around the table, looking at God for their needs. They are waiting, and in my mind, waiting eagerly and confidently for just the right time (Romans 5:6) when God will meet those needs.
This image shows me, we can either lament or welcome God’s timing.
Our house has been for sale for most of the summer. Our plan was to downsize and move closer to my daughter’s house and nearer where I work. Although we have been conflicted by the move, because we love where we live, it seems to be the right course of action in this place of our lives. But not one offer. Nor is there a great deal of interest in even seeing the house. While it seems like something God would want us to do, nothing has happened.
But then, some new situation has come up where I work, which could cause a change. Perhaps a move at this time is not in our best interests. Perhaps God has spared us. Perhaps His timing suggests – not yet. Regardless of the reasons, the house has not sold, and we are not put into the position of having to decide where to re-locate. While I lament at not being able to move, because I have mentally and physically been preparing for it, this is also an unexpected welcome of God’s timing. It causes my husband and I to look to and wait on Him.
The next verse gives me an image of God with his hands open. In my mind, I see a willingness in God, a desire to provide for His people. And not only a desire, but I know, He has the ability to provide, because He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10).
In God’s provision, He satisfies our desires.
Sometimes desires are seen as a bad thing. I would venture that sometimes desires are placed into us by God. Sure, desire can go haywire, but not all desires are wrong. I think our desires often show us God’s calling in our lives. What we want to do and how we want to do it can reflect God’s way of leading us. Wisdom is seen in the realization that our desires need discernment as to the source, and whether they fall into the realm of good or evil.
And really, any desire that is wrong is unable to be satisfied.
What is to be satisfied? It is the realization that you have plenty.
Why does God do this for us? Because we are His people, it is in His realm and desire to care for us, and I believe, it brings Him pleasure. In the end, we are brought to the same place as the Psalmist, who ends with:
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Psalm 145:20 {ESV}
I am thankful for the intentional practice of my mother’s family as they recognized the One who provided, and maybe inadvertently or maybe not, taught the next generation to see God as their Provider, the One who satisfies.
- Generations of Faith - February 5, 2020
- Lament Over Disunity - November 27, 2019
- Invitations: God’s Promptings - May 22, 2019
Such good reminders of God’s presence in our lives, and how young you were when you became aware of the impact His word had on your family. I’d never heard the first prayer before and will copy it down as a new one to use at mealtime. In the meantime, sounds like you’re staying put for the time being. I pray God’s grace over your decisions moving or staying. I’m so glad you have such peace about it, though not knowing what comes next is a bit stressful at times.
Sometimes I long to live closer to where I’m working, because the trip is so long, but what can I do.? With all that is going on perhaps having something stable is actually a blessing. Thanks Sarah!
“…waiting eagerly and confidently for just the right time when God will meet those needs…” Gosh what a great picture in my mind. Waiting for God, yes, but adding ‘eagerly’ and ‘confidently’ to that scenario changes it for me. I feel like I am sitting on the edge of my seat now. Thanks for that image!
Oh my how hard that is sometimes.
Sometimes it’s a combination of lamenting the wait and being eager for whatever comes next!