A New Satisfaction

A New Satisfaction

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

Isaiah 55:2

IN WORD Deuteronomy 8:3 says that we don’t live by bread alone. Jesus quoted that verse during His temptation and later told His disciples that His food was to do the will of the Father. The Word of God affirms that the voice of God is the key to a satisfying life.

That should be no surprise. It stands to reason that the God who created the world for His own pleasure would know exactly what it takes to live life to its fullest. The infinite, omniscient God knows what we should eat—spiritually, emotionally, and physically—to nourish us well. There’s no reason ever to ignore His voice.

That’s why the first temptation in the Garden targeted the voice of God. “Did God really say . . . ?” the serpent mused (Genesis 3:1). If a slithering liar really wanted to profane the sacred image of God, that was his logical first step: slander the voice that spoke this good creation into being. In Satan’s view, the voice that breathes life into human beings, that speaks forth life-giving truth, that leads us into all blessing and abundance, is a voice that must be interrupted. The hater of God and humanity knew exactly how to attack the source of a soul’s richest fare.

IN DEED If God says the key to your soul’s abundance is in His voice, and the enemy chose as his first temptation to attack that voice, what does that tell you about your response to God’s voice? Isaiah prophesied words that express God’s heart to us: “Listen, listen.” God is always pointing us in the right direction, guiding us in His ways, and showing us what to “eat.” Is it because He loves being a dictator? Or could it be that He seeks our abundance, our pleasure, our delight?

The answer is spelled out pretty clearly in Scripture. God wants us to have “the richest of fare.” He isn’t a cosmic killjoy who wants to stamp out our pleasure. He wants us to delight in Him and His work. He wants our souls to be fully satisfied. And His voice will always tell us how.

God is not silent. It is the nature of God to speak.

—A. W. TOZER