Daily Devotional
Word of the Day
Nothing Else Satisfies
Pastor Scott
Monday, April 26, 2004
Listen to this teaching | Related Teaching | Bible Teaching | 
Print
"Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved."
(John 13:23)
"[You] adulterers and adulteresses, [don't you know] that the friendship of [this] world system is enmity with [in opposition to the kingdom of] God? whosoever...will be a friend [sympathetic with] is the enemy of God" (James 4:4). Friends come in different degrees. For one reason or another you may not be partaking of the world at this time, but are you sympathetic to it? Do you make excuses, saying, "If I could I would"?
Obedience can be approached from two major perspectives. External motivation-- the law, judgment, consequences--is for the immature. Hopefully there can be internal motivation--relationship and a love of God more than a love of self, pleasure, ease, and comfort. Many of us are motivated by the consequences, but it just doesn't last. The law has to be continually renewed; every day you have to be beat with the hundred stripes. You have to be told that if you do that, God will judge you. The relationship is coming to the walk in the spirit when you understand how good God is. He's not holding out on you. But to the degree that you're "discontent in Jesus"--drawn, sympathetic and enticed towards the world--is in direct correlation to how little you're tasting of the goodness of God. Taste and see that the Lord is good. His presence, His wisdom, is more valuable than rubies! When you've partaken of the presence of God, nothing else can satisfy you! What are you eating of? Whatever you're intent upon, involved with and feeding yourself the most will dominate your mind. And to be carnally minded is death; to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Walk in the spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). It's not that you have to abstain; but because you're pursuing God, you're going in the opposite direction. If your perception of liberty is how close can you come to the world and still be right with God, you've misunderstood what liberty is. That's the exact opposite of liberty; you're using liberty as an occasion to the flesh. Liberty is the ability to fulfill the law because righteousness is working in you. You don't do the law to be righteous; you're fulfilling the law because you are righteous and have new treasures and a relationship. Because you're satisfied with the presence of God, you don't need other things to be fulfilled and content. You're content in Jesus.
Where are we in our relationship with God? Mary knew the better part sitting at the feet of Jesus. John knew the better part laying on the breast of Jesus. What a title! Of all of the men of God, what a title: "the disciple that Jesus loved." Why do you think John was referred to as the one that Jesus loved? What do you think got him that title? Do you know the law of sowing and reaping? Every time Jesus turned around, John was there--just like Joshua with Moses. He wanted everything God had for him! He knew the heartbeat of the Master. Paul had the revelation for the Church; but John had the heart of Jesus. He knew the heartbeat of the Savior!
In the cleft of the rock is where we wait to see the presence of God. When everyone else is about the secular and mundane, we need a Joshua that'll sit at the tabernacle and say, "I'm not leaving until I've encountered God." When everyone else partied with the golden calf, Joshua went as far as God would allow him to go--jealous for a glimpse of God! Just one glimpse will change your life forever!