As promised, I shall write about something God was speaking to me on Sunday. Honestly, as I wracked my brain trying to remember that specific thing to write this blog, I couldn’t remember. Every time that I read the Bible, God reveals something new to me. So each day, there’s a new revelation. It’s wonderful. My church really promotes reading the Bible every day and reading the whole Bible in its entirety every year. I’m a firm believer in that, as well. If you’ve never read the whole Bible, I recommend it. And no, don’t give me that, “The Old Testament is boring and I don’t get it,” junk. There is SO much in the Old Testament! It is so interesting! Everything in the Old Testament points to Jesus and the coming of the Messiah. It’s amazing. Ask God to reveal things to you when you read the Bible and He will. Simple.
On to what I learned on Sunday! My pastor was talking about how often the words fulfill and fulfillment are used in Matthew. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament (OT). Jesus fulfilled God’s wrath. Jesus fulfills everything we need.
Hold up! Stop right there. Jesus fulfills everything we need. That sentence stops me. It stopped me Sunday and it stops me now. I’ve been asking myself, “Does Jesus really fulfill me? Am I content with Him? Or am I fruitlessly pursuing other, empty, never satisfying things?”
Sadly, the answer for that query is that Jesus often doesn’t fulfill me. He’s more than able to do that, but I don’t let Him. I’m so busy chasing after things I think will fulfill that He doesn’t even get the opportunity. Take food, for example. Tons of people eat to try and fill a void. I used to do that. If I’m not careful, I still do that. People hunger for attention and affection, so they eat food. Does that make sense? No. Not at all.
Another area of fulfillment is lust. Lust is a product of the flesh. The flesh always wants something. Bigger, better, more expensive, more sleek, more interesting stuff. The flesh, in the biblical standpoint, is the opposite of the Spirit. Spirit is of God. Flesh is of fallen man. The flesh never stops lusting. So, how would I stop lusting? I’d have to live in the Spirit and let God be my fulfillment.
I often lust for candy or pop or new, expensive gadgets. And now, instead of relentlessly pursuing those things until I get them, I’m going to seek God first. Lust is only a quest for fulfillment. Jesus fulfills everything I’ll ever need. So, instead of chasing the object, I’m going to chase God. Chasing lust is empty.
It’s natural to hunger for fulfillment. But it’s not healthy to hunger for material things. I need to take my natural hunger and turn it toward something fulfilling: Jesus.
Here’s how I’m going to apply this: The next time I’m really lusting after something, I’m going to immediately start praying and read the Bible. I’m going to fill myself with things that satisfy. I know I’ll feel full after a time of intimacy with Jesus.
Well, that’s it. That was my giant revelation. May seem simplistic but I think it’s profound.
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