Saturday Scripture Gold with Bibi: True Treasure Is Found In Knowing God

“I try to find meaning anywhere I can. It's the only way I know how to validate my existence.”   -Tiffanie DeBartolo, God-Shaped Hole

Maybe you're familiar with the concept that inside each of us is a "God-shaped hole;" a place inside of our hearts that only God can fill. If we try to put anything else in there, it won't fit (meaning, it won't fill the need we have inside of our heart/soul).

Intriguing concept, isn't it? The idea is that inside each and every one of us, is a natural or intuitive longing in our hearts for something that lies beyond our grasp, something eternal, something "more," (i.e., the “God-shaped hole”). Ecclesiastes 3:11 refers to God's placing of "eternity in man’s heart."

God made humanity for His eternal purpose, and only He can fulfill our desire for eternity. All religion is based on the innate desire to “connect” with God. This desire can only be fulfilled by God, and therefore can be likened to a “God-shaped hole.”

Unfortunately, too many of us spend our lives looking for something other than God to fill our longing for meaning, whether in business, family, sports, etc. However, by pursuing these things that are not eternal, we remain unfulfilled and wonder why our lives never seem gratified. Undoubtedly, many people pursuing things other than God achieve a measure of “happiness” for a time, but it's never quite enough.

"There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus."   -Blaise Pascal, Philosopher (1623-1662)

Think of it as being like a square peg that can't fit into a round hole. The “God-shaped hole” inside each of us can't be filled by anyone or anything other than God. Only through a personal relationship with God, through faith in Jesus Christ, can the “God-shaped hole” be filled and the desire for eternity fulfilled.

C. S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity, describes how the human race has tried just about everything, desperately wanting to fill up that God-shaped hole: "What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could `be like gods'—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy."

Ecclesiastes 6:1-6 tells the story of a rich person who doesn't enjoy life. He has everything: wealth, possessions, and even honor. He has everything that his heart desires. He has a hundred children. He lives a long life. He has everything that an Israelite desired: many children, a long life, and financial success. He has everything except for one thing: the ability to enjoy God’s daily gifts.

This is just as obvious in today's world as it was then. Newspapers, magazines, television programs, etc., are replete with stories of people who had it all (i.e., money, fame, glory), and yet it wasn't enough. Sadly, some even take their own lives because of this lack of any "real" fulfillment. These examples should serve as constant reminders that even when riches remain with a man to the end of his life they may fail to bring him any real happiness.

Here's a little bit more of that Lewis essay regard living apart from God: “The reason why it can never succeed is this. God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to be run on gasoline, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other.”

"I had done films back-to-back-to-back. I was burnt out," he said. "There was something lacking, some sort of hole that I couldn't really fill up. I was just so deep into my work, it was really the only thing I had."  -Hare, Breeanna. "Zac Efron opens up about addiction struggle." CNN. Cable News Network, 2 May 2014. 

Solomon explains that people can enjoy God’s gifts of possessions and wealth (Ecclesiastes 5:18–19). I think we can all agree with that! However, we need to keep in mind that we, as mere mortal beings, who conduct our lives without God in this life, will face problems that seem to be insurmountable. For sure, a person who lives by faith in the Creator and Sovereign of all things may experience the same enigmas, but God’s sovereign control provides the means for enjoying His gifts in spite of the difficulties and discouragements.

“Ownership is, thus, a misnomer. One’s possessions are exclusively gifts of God, and as easily as God gives, so God takes away to give to others. The givenness of material possessions is a two-edged sword.”  -William P. Brown, Ecclesiastes, Interpretation (Louisville, Ky.: John Knox Press, 2000), 65.

Beloved, when we live our lives without a "true" relationship with God, we live a life that is lacking genuine satisfaction. I know some may not agree, but we have seen far too many cases of persons living without God in his or her life, who never find satisfaction in quantity of possessions, wealth, children, or years of life. 

And now, I'll simply close this week's message by leaving you with some points for consideration: 

a) Contentment is more satisfying than wealth. 

b) Doing God’s will is more important than gaining goods, and;

c) Doing God’s will brings the highest wealth of all! 

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10; Ecclesiastes 5:18-20; Ecclesiastes 6:7-9; 1 John 2:16; James 4:3; Matthew 6:33; 1 Corinthians 3:11  

-special thanks to S. Michael Houdmann 

Now, let's pray...

O Father, give us the humility which realizes its ignorance, admits its mistakes, recognizes its need, welcomes advice, accepts rebuke. Help us always to praise rather than to criticize, to sympathize rather than to discourage, to build rather than to destroy, and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst. This we ask for in thy name's sake. Amen

Until next time...

May your week be blessed!

Bibi