Finding True Satisfaction in El Shaddai
Summary
### Summary
Today, we explored the profound truth that only God, El Shaddai, can truly satisfy the deepest longings of our souls. We began by reflecting on the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12, who believed that accumulating wealth and possessions would bring him satisfaction. However, God called him a fool, reminding us that our souls cannot be quenched by the temporary things of this life. Jesus' words at Caesarea Philippi further emphasize this point: "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" This teaches us that true satisfaction comes from following Christ and not from worldly gains.
We then turned to Genesis 17, where God introduces Himself to Abram as El Shaddai, the all-sufficient God who satisfies. This name reveals that our insatiable ambitions and appetites can only be fulfilled by God. Abram's journey of faith was marked by moments of doubt and attempts to take matters into his own hands, such as when he lied about Sarah being his sister out of fear for his life. Despite these flaws, God remained faithful to His promise.
We also looked at the story of Moses, who was set aside in the wilderness for 40 years to prepare for God's greater plan. This illustrates that sometimes God places us in a wilderness to prepare us for His purposes. The wilderness is not a punishment but a place of preparation. God has to work in us and on us before He can work through us. This principle is evident in the lives of other biblical figures like David, Elijah, Paul, and Daniel, who were all set aside to be prepared for God's work.
The final lesson from Genesis 17 is that God is all we need when we need Him. He is never too early or too late but always perfectly on time according to His will. When God appeared to Abram at 99 years old, He reaffirmed His promise and required Abram to respond with humble reverence and faithful obedience. Abram's immediate obedience in circumcising himself and all the males in his household demonstrates his trust in God's timing and provision.
We concluded by reflecting on the significance of El Shaddai. God helps those who are helpless to help themselves. He has a greater plan that is bigger than us but includes us if we are willing to participate. This plan is ultimately about bringing redemption to all humanity through Jesus Christ. Just as God used Abram's life to reveal His greater plan, He uses our lives to accomplish His purposes. We must come to the end of ourselves to find the beginning of God, recognizing that only He can truly satisfy our souls.
### Key Takeaways
1. True Satisfaction Comes from God Alone: The parable of the rich fool and Jesus' words at Caesarea Philippi remind us that worldly gains cannot satisfy our souls. True satisfaction comes from following Christ and losing our lives for His sake. This principle challenges us to evaluate where we seek fulfillment and to turn our hearts towards God, who alone can quench our deepest thirsts. [38:49]
2. God Prepares Us in the Wilderness: Just as Moses was set aside in the wilderness for 40 years, God often places us in a wilderness to prepare us for His purposes. The wilderness is not a punishment but a place of preparation. We must learn to embrace these seasons, understanding that God is working in us and on us before He can work through us. [57:33]
3. Humble Reverence and Faithful Obedience: When God appeared to Abram as El Shaddai, He required a response of humble reverence and faithful obedience. Abram's immediate obedience in circumcising himself and all the males in his household demonstrates his trust in God's timing and provision. This teaches us the importance of responding to God's commands with humility and faith, even when it is difficult. [59:24]
4. God's Greater Plan Includes Us: God always has a greater plan that is bigger than us but includes us if we are willing to participate. Abram's life reveals that God chose him to be the vehicle for bringing redemption to all humanity through Jesus Christ. We must recognize that God is doing something bigger in our lives and be willing to be vessels of His grace. [52:30]
5. Only God Can Truly Satisfy Our Souls: The name El Shaddai means the all-sufficient God who satisfies. We must come to the end of ourselves to find the beginning of God. This involves recognizing that our insatiable ambitions and appetites can only be fulfilled by God. We must trust that He alone can satisfy the greatest longing of our souls. [01:04:01]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[24:34] - Communion Reflection
[31:37] - Opening Prayer
[32:13] - Recognizing God's Presence
[34:49] - Names of God
[35:29] - El Shaddai: The All-Sufficient God
[38:49] - True Satisfaction in Christ
[40:22] - Abram's Journey of Faith
[41:52] - God's Protection and Promise
[44:25] - Abram's Attempts to Help God
[46:01] - God's Covenant with Abraham
[47:27] - God's Promise of Isaac
[48:58] - Trusting God's Timing
[50:42] - Principles of El Shaddai
[52:30] - God's Greater Plan
[54:20] - The Bigger Picture of Redemption
[56:03] - Preparation for God's Work
[57:33] - Embracing the Wilderness
[59:24] - Humble Reverence and Obedience
[01:00:58] - Faithful Response to God
[01:02:34] - A Funny Joke
[01:04:01] - Only God Can Satisfy
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Genesis 17:1-27 - The covenant of circumcision and God's promise to Abraham.
2. Luke 12:16-21 - The parable of the rich fool.
3. Matthew 16:24-26 - Jesus' teaching on losing one's life to save it.
#### Observation Questions
1. What did God promise to Abraham in Genesis 17, and how did Abraham respond? ([46:01])
2. In the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21), what was the rich man's mistake, and what was God's response to him? ([38:16])
3. According to Jesus in Matthew 16:24-26, what must one do to truly save their life? ([38:49])
4. How did God prepare Moses in the wilderness, and what was the purpose of this preparation? ([57:33])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does the name El Shaddai reveal about God's character and His ability to satisfy our deepest needs? ([35:29])
2. How does the story of Abraham's journey of faith illustrate the principle that God helps those who are helpless to help themselves? ([52:30])
3. Why is the wilderness experience important in the lives of biblical figures like Moses, David, and Elijah, and what does it teach us about God's preparation process? ([57:33])
4. How does Abraham's immediate obedience in circumcising himself and his household demonstrate his trust in God's timing and provision? ([59:24])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you are seeking satisfaction from worldly gains rather than from God? How can you shift your focus to find true satisfaction in Christ? ([38:49])
2. Have you ever experienced a "wilderness" season in your life? How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience? How can you embrace such seasons as times of preparation rather than punishment? ([57:33])
3. In what ways can you practice humble reverence and faithful obedience in your daily life, especially when faced with difficult commands from God? ([59:24])
4. Consider God's greater plan for your life. How can you be more willing to participate in His purposes, even when you don't fully understand them? ([52:30])
5. Think about a time when you tried to take matters into your own hands instead of trusting God's timing. What was the outcome, and how can you learn to wait on God's perfect timing in the future? ([48:58])
6. Identify one specific area in your life where you need to come to the end of yourself to find the beginning of God. What steps can you take this week to surrender that area to Him? ([50:42])
7. How can you remind yourself daily that only God, El Shaddai, can truly satisfy the deepest longings of your soul? What practical actions can you take to keep this truth at the forefront of your mind? ([01:04:01])
Devotional
Day 1: True Satisfaction in Christ
True satisfaction comes from God alone. The parable of the rich fool in Luke 12 illustrates the futility of seeking fulfillment in worldly possessions. The rich fool believed that accumulating wealth would bring him satisfaction, but God called him a fool, reminding us that our souls cannot be quenched by temporary things. Jesus' words at Caesarea Philippi further emphasize this point: "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" This teaches us that true satisfaction comes from following Christ and not from worldly gains. We are challenged to evaluate where we seek fulfillment and to turn our hearts towards God, who alone can quench our deepest thirsts. [38:49]
Jeremiah 2:13 (ESV): "For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water."
Reflection: What are the "broken cisterns" in your life that you turn to for satisfaction? How can you begin to seek true fulfillment in God alone today?
Day 2: Embracing the Wilderness
God prepares us in the wilderness. Just as Moses was set aside in the wilderness for 40 years, God often places us in a wilderness to prepare us for His purposes. The wilderness is not a punishment but a place of preparation. We must learn to embrace these seasons, understanding that God is working in us and on us before He can work through us. This principle is evident in the lives of other biblical figures like David, Elijah, Paul, and Daniel, who were all set aside to be prepared for God's work. Embracing the wilderness means trusting God's process and timing, knowing that He is preparing us for something greater. [57:33]
Hosea 2:14-15 (ESV): "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope."
Reflection: Are you currently in a season of wilderness? How can you embrace this time as a period of preparation and trust that God is working in you for His greater purposes?
Day 3: Humble Reverence and Obedience
Humble reverence and faithful obedience are essential responses to God's revelation. When God appeared to Abram as El Shaddai, He required a response of humble reverence and faithful obedience. Abram's immediate obedience in circumcising himself and all the males in his household demonstrates his trust in God's timing and provision. This teaches us the importance of responding to God's commands with humility and faith, even when it is difficult. Obedience to God often requires us to step out of our comfort zones and trust in His plans, even when we do not fully understand them. [59:24]
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (ESV): "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?"
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to obey God? How can you take a step of humble reverence and faithful obedience in that area today?
Day 4: Participating in God's Greater Plan
God's greater plan includes us if we are willing to participate. Abram's life reveals that God chose him to be the vehicle for bringing redemption to all humanity through Jesus Christ. We must recognize that God is doing something bigger in our lives and be willing to be vessels of His grace. This involves surrendering our own plans and ambitions to align with God's purposes. By participating in God's greater plan, we become part of His redemptive work in the world, bringing hope and salvation to others. [52:30]
Ephesians 2:10 (ESV): "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Reflection: How can you align your daily actions with God's greater plan? What specific steps can you take to be a willing participant in His redemptive work?
Day 5: Only God Can Truly Satisfy
Only God can truly satisfy our souls. The name El Shaddai means the all-sufficient God who satisfies. We must come to the end of ourselves to find the beginning of God. This involves recognizing that our insatiable ambitions and appetites can only be fulfilled by God. We must trust that He alone can satisfy the greatest longing of our souls. This truth calls us to surrender our desires and ambitions to God, trusting that He will provide for our deepest needs and fulfill our hearts in ways that the world cannot. [01:04:01]
Psalm 63:1 (ESV): "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water."
Reflection: In what ways have you been seeking satisfaction outside of God? How can you begin to seek fulfillment in Him alone and trust that He will satisfy your deepest longings?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "You're a fool if you think that your soul can be quenched by the temporary things of this life. Tonight, your life will be asked of you. Or you think about what Jesus said at Caesarea Philippi to his disciples. He says, if anyone desire to follow me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. Look what he says next. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. Next phrase. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" [38:49]
2. "See, sometimes when we find ourselves in the wilderness, we fight the wilderness because we think that we've done something wrong when actually God has put us there to get us ready for what's next. Let's use Moses as an example. Moses, when he was very young, boys were being slaughtered under the age of two. And so his mom says, his mom and sister come up with this plan to put him and float him down the Nile. And it just so happens that Pharaoh's daughter finds him. And it just so happens, she says, you know what? I can't raise this child. I need some help. How about you? And picks his mom. That's called Godronic. Or you can call it the sovereign will of God, whatever you want to call it." [57:33]
3. "What's it going to take for you to be satisfied? Do you need more money in your 401k? Do you need a bigger house, bigger car? Is that what's going to bring you satisfaction? you need someone who's going to actually answer the phone when you call them and call yourself, say that they're your friend? What do you need to satisfy you? Because I promise each and every one of us, we spend our days trying to find something or someone to satisfy us, to give us a sense of purpose and meaning and fulfillment. The sad part is that too many times we go looking for love in all the wrong places." [36:16]
4. "He meets us at the point of our need and he takes care of us when we trust that he is the one who can satisfy. A.W. Tozer said it this way, anything God has done, he can do in you. Anything God has ever done anywhere, he can do here. Anything God has ever done for anyone, he can do for you too. Don't miss the significance of El Shaddai. God is telling us that the only way that our soul can ever truly be satisfied is through him. It's not by anything this world has to offer. It's only through him." [01:04:01]
### Quotes for Members
1. "God often has to do the same for us. He has to pull to the side to prepare us for his purposes, for our future and for his glory. He set David to the side. He set Elijah to the side. He set Paul to the side, Daniel to the side. God always sets aside his servants to prepare them for what's next. He has to work in us and on us before he can work through us. Now, here's a kind of a secondary principle here. If you feel like you're in the wilderness right now, don't fight it. Learn in the wilderness. The wilderness is practice for the game. And the more you fight God in the wilderness, the longer you're going to be in the wilderness, because you're not learning what he needs you to learn." [57:33]
2. "God is all you need when you need him. He's never too early. He's never too late. He's perfectly on time according to his will. When we look at this, he shows up when Abraham is 99. He's no longer humanly able to satisfy his ambition of having a son so that he can finally find where true satisfaction comes from. It comes from God. Now, what's required in order to be satisfied by El Shaddai? There's two things. First, it requires humble reverence. God requires that we bring our lives to him and that we humbly fall, face down before him and say, God, you're big. God, you know it all. You're sovereign. You're omnipotent. I recognize who you are. And I realize how small I am and how much I need you and how little you, you don't need me at all." [59:24]
3. "God helps those who are helpless to help themselves. Let me explain this. God had to wait 24 years after making the promise. Do you know why? He had to wait for Abraham to be impotent and Sarah to be barren so that they did not try to satisfy themselves with a child. And the reason is because God was doing something so much bigger. In fact, if you don't hear anything today, you need to hear this principle. God always, always, always has a greater plan that's bigger than us, but it can include us if we're willing to participate." [52:30]
4. "God purposed in Abraham that from the beginning to work his sovereign plan of redemption through him. But to get there, God had to take Abraham through a process where he was willing to become a vessel of grace. And God does the same for us. He's always working on the bigger plan in us, on us, through us, and beyond us for his glory. What's essential in order to experience this, we have to come to the end of ourselves discover the beginning of God. Second thing here is that we have to learn that God has to work in us and on us before he can work through us." [56:03]
5. "And the question is, how long is it going to take for you and for me to learn that only God can truly satisfy our soul? Well, let me quickly give you three principles from this name to help us to understand what it means that he's El Shaddai. Abraham's life, like us, Abraham felt the inclination to help God accomplish God's will. He never grasped it until 24 years after the promise. But here's what he finally learned. God helps those who are helpless to help themselves." [50:42]
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