TO CHEW ON: "All the labor of man is for his mouth,
And yet the soul is not satisfied." Ecclesiastes 6:7
Has it ever struck you how ever-near is your next bout of hunger? For the healthy person the desire to eat recurs at regular intervals separated by mere hours and is never satisfied in a final way. This is, however, a good thing, as it keeps us fueling ourselves so we stay alive.
In the Ecclesiastes passage the Preacher refers to this inability to once-and-for-all slake hunger. But he looks at it as a disadvantage. We could take his reference to our physical hunger as a stand-in for all the physical things in life that promise satisfaction. We partake, indulge, even over-indulge, hoping to quell that nagging ache. But still there is hunger — soul hunger. Our souls are not satisfied with material things.
Jesus' words stand in bold contrast. He tells us He is the water that finally quenches soul and spirit thirst. He is the bread that finally satisfies and gives spiritual life.
I ask myself, where do I find myself going to quench soul and spirit hunger? To material things? To the arts—literature, paintings and sculptures, music? To social interaction? To personal performance and productivity?
These things have their place. Some are better at providing temporary satisfaction than others. But Jesus and what He offers is the source and supply of spirit and soul food that fully and finally satisfies in a way that lasts into eternity.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please help me look for and find my satisfaction in You.
PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 9
The Bible Project VIDEO: Ecclesiastes (Wisdom theme)
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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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