The Rolling Stones sang, ‘I can’t get no satisfaction’, and for many people in life, the idea of total satisfaction seems an unattainable dream. We are people who are easily dissatisfied and our consumerist society fuels this dissatisfaction, always showing us the next best thing. The idea of godliness with contentment (1 Tim 6:6) seems a pipe dream and we often treat God as an accessory, wanting to trade Him in for a newer model in the same way that we upgrade our mobile phones…

In Psalm 36, we find verses which describe the satisfaction God provides: ‘They feast on the abundance of your house; You give them drink from your river of delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.’ (Ps 36:8-9) One of the frequent images used to describe our union with God is that of marriage, with the marriage supper or feast described (see Matt 22:2, Rev 19:9). The most lavish meal we could ever imagine is as nothing compared to the abundance of God’s house. The food and drink industry is one of the most lucrative in this country; the Food and Drink Federation tell us that food and drink contribute £31.1 billion to the economy and is the biggest manufacturing sector in the country, but this just cannot compare to God’s abundance and supply. God gives us the best food we can imagine and gives us access to drink from His river of delights. There is literally nothing which can satisfy us as God does.

It’s crucially important that we are satisfied with God, because if we are not, we will live miserable lives that don’t recommend Him to anyone! We have to understand that life does not consist of an abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15) and learn to seek God first (Matt 6:33-34). We should be magnets, pulling people towards God because they see in us a quality of life that they don’t have. If we are discontented, materialistic, anxious, miserable people, why on earth should anyone believe us when we say that God is worth knowing? On the other hand, when we are convinced of God’s love, faithfulness, righteousness and justice and protection and preservation, we can live confidently, becoming beacons of light.