The Key to the Good Things In Life, Part 1

Welcome to the intensified Catholic child family for Wednesday, December 29 so many things are advertised as the path to happiness that they can't provide lasting fulfillment.

Learn about true contentment in part one of the key to the good things in life you ask average personnel of the good things of life's about what they think would make them happy when what they think would make them happy by not make them happy at all the good things in life about those things that simply make us happy here all the good things when he says that he will not withhold any good thing from those who seek him who loved him a trust it was the good things in life are all those things that fit into God's purpose and God's plan for allowing all of those things that fit into God's purpose in God's plan for liability. Good thing, use of an ornament like what, for example, it could be prosperity. It could be great wealth. It could be good health, opportunities, abilities, talents, it could be many good things, but it can also be troubles, heartaches, trials, periods of being in the exhibit when a minute now. You mean to tell me that hardship trial and tribulation troubles. These are good things.

Yes, they are using. Here's the problem.

You and I judge good things.

By the way they affect us at the time we don't see from God's perspective, I can look back over the years of my life and tell you that some of the best things that God ever send them my life with the things that caused me the most pain. The most heart ache.

The most suffering the most difficulty in the most trying moments at that time if you had told me that's a good thing out of that menu out of your mind at that time I would've thought God, you have you need to redefine what good is because when it is painful when it is difficult when it causes suffering and hardship.

There is no way for us to think in terms of it being a good thing. But God's good things are not limited to what makes me happy. What makes me feel good.

God's good things are all those things that fit in the category of what those things that fit into God's purpose and God's will for a life missing if it fits into God's purpose in his will for your life and not it is a good thing. So we talk about the good things in life is what falls in the category all those things that fit into God's purpose in God's plan for your life in my life there. The good things and what he says. He says when you and I are seeking him we not going to miss any of now, what is the key to having these good things in life. Well, when you look at this verse look in verse nine he says all fear the Lord to his saints, but of those who fear him. There is no want the young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they who seek the Lord, they should not be in want of any good thing now what is the key to all of this look if you will, in verse 10, when it says the young lions they like and suffer hunger now lying on of all the beast of the field will be the one least likely to suffer hunger because the young lion is so swift and can run solo so fast and so silent pieces, even the young lions the right to suffer hunger, but they that they that seek the Lord will know good thing. And of course one of interpretation that is the young lions would be like people who are very powerful and very wealthy who can do and achieve and purchase and buy most anything they want. He says even they will lack and suffer hunger you and I may know people who have everything money can buy, but they'll only in their empty they have no sense of direction. No driving purpose in the life that satisfies multiple pills and oftentimes they have no one with whom they can enjoy and share what they have those folks on happy they are contented to give away half, two thirds most of what they have a maybe all of us just to be able to experience some of the contentment and the joy and fulfillment and peace that we have as believers. So, he says, even the young lions they like and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord, he says, shall not want any good thing. Now what is the key verse nine says those who fear him. There is no want. Verse 10 says those who seek him shall not want a good thing to listen to fear the Lord is the reference him and that is the foundation of our relationship to that is a reverence for God is God and on the basis of that reverence.

We began to seek him. Here is the key to the good things in life and the best things in life and that is seeking the Lord not seeking what God has to give. That is what seeking the Lord in the many verses that relate to that and some of which say you know seek the Lord seeking his face now most of us we think in terms of seeking God come to him with both hands open and remote video. Some people that know this and we won't that we have this need and that lead in God.

This need and that needed so we, the this is not open hands but a basket into basket God hear my needs for the day and oftentimes what we want is not God. Listen, if many people could get it some other way. They wouldn't even bothering if some people could get in the sum of the way they went even bothering and that is the very reason that many people never come to him because they feel no dependence upon him.

They seek things this world is in pursuit of power and prosperity in position and prestige and acceptance of law that all the other things in life. But you see when you and I begin to seek the Lord God gives us some very wonderful promises and a lot of people who seeking a lot of things and it's amazing to me that when they get their people have got it. What if I can really accomplish this hard. It's going to be satisfied you what happens they get it, and they wake up at this startling realization that just as empty as they were before they have got you see every single one of us is different in a million different ways but every single one of us is exactly alike in this point the only thing that satisfies the human heart is Jesus Christ friend you can travel the world of you have anything and everything in the world you want, physically, materially, relationally, and without him even to come up to startling emptiness. Shocking disappointment. It's not there there is anything out there that can satisfy others. This is what he says they that seek the Lord in this. What is it mean to seek him to seek the Lord means that you and I will desire him.

That is, we desire to know him to seek the Lord means the hunger and thirst after him. That is, no matter what's going on on the inside of us. There is more and we know that there's more.

We hunger and thirst after deeper relationship with him.

We long for intimacy with him for something inside of us. While it is fully satisfied is absolutely dissatisfied and what appears to be a contradiction is no contradiction at all because the moral Jesus Christ you experience the more of him. You want and so there is a seeking after the person of Christ.

Nobody has to give. You see, here's the key to the good things in life. All these good things in life become hours. As a result of seeking him look if you will, and Psalm 42. Here's the expression of a man who was who sought the Lord saw them diligently sought and continually as he says, sought his strength and he describes that in Psalm 42 in a beautiful way when he says as the deer pants for the water right now if you think about that. He's breathing hard and his tongue hanging out. As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for the old God. My soul thirst for God, for the living God. Do you have a real thirst to know him. You see, here's the problem most people are grown up in churches where to be a Christian is to be saved, read your Bible, pray, go to church, give share your faith and be good. The real Christian life is a daily walk of the fullness of the spirit where you and I have a hunger and thirst and yearning for him that we can save David. Oh God. My soul yearns to know you are not satisfied knowing so little about you. I will, and intimacy. I will relationship my soul is crying out to you, dear God, that's what they say look, if you will, and Psalm 143 Psalm 143 says differently here again. David says and you can of course read this all through the Psalms, verse six, I stretch out my hands to the my soul longs for the is a parched land and ask a question had hereby had what we call a drop. In your life where you know not to interested read the Bible you read it. Nothing happens in your pray in their prayers. Ricochet off the ceiling out of the walls and back down to the floor and you think I'm not getting anywhere and you hear someone else talk about what God is doing in their life and you think will and you go to church and you listen and no matter how excited about else as you do so to sit there and think those drivetime that is when you feel like you sold is like a desert parched land. What you do in those times, my friend. The tragedy is that some of you have to say, I didn't know there was a giveaway because your heart has been so parts in your soul you felt so deserted for so long because you been walking in the spiritual desert. My friend, the Bible says if you and I will seek him, he will reign upon us. He will reign upon us. Let's go to Isaiah chapter 26 Isaiah chapter 26. Listen to what he says this passage verse nine listen at night. Listen this at night, my soul longs for the indeed my spirit within me seeks the diligently it just keeps on using the Christian life is more than just activities the Christian life is a relationship the Christian life is intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now limited Cheryl something that happened to me last Monday morning I woke up and I just lay there for a few moments and I knew something was going on in my spirit and often times I have awakened as the psalmist says and cried out to God, oftentimes maybe something burdening me something in my heart.

Something I long for God to do but somehow last Monday morning wasn't any of and it struck me that as I lay there and just let God speak to my heart.

It was like the Lord was just affirming. He knows my heart. He knows my desire.

He knows my hunger and thirst after him in all these years my yearning to know the Lord. Never have I had such a beautiful quiet overwhelming affirmation as if God were just saying to me. I know your heart, you have to prove anything to me. You have to do a thing. Just let me love you how long that lasted probably half an hour so I did not tell you that the say you want to have that experience, but simply to say this. How could God be more loving and more gracious. What else could God have done to have spoken such an affirmation to me is the way can be in the middle of the night. The simple tell me that I love you and I know your heart and I'm pleased that you have to prove anything. Just keep doing what you're doing friend you can't name anything that God could have given me to match that in life that I'm perfect. God knows my frailties my weaknesses. I'm simply saying this when you and I seek the Lord God does not turn a deaf ear, and when you sleeping at night, you think nothing's going on on you until you happened the motives of movement, God's up some he's doing some old degreasing is the no light up there. The wisest way to go to sleep at night is thinking about Christ and you can't plan to wake up have God say something, you keep plan to wake up and have your spirit crying out to God, you know what is not. Think about it, it's those beautiful unplanned non-uncontrollable, indescribable, quiet, loving, overwhelming visitations from Christ that are indescribable and only say that to say this, God loves you a whole lot more than you realize it, and he so willing to fellowship with you and to love you and to provide for you. Everything your heart needs and many desires of your heart. A number of years ago I was seated on the first row right here and someone else is preaching what he was saying but at some point in that sermon the spirit of God spoke to my heart so clearly and said to me, give me your whole life and you never want for anything. I you know thing he said I sent the absolute overwhelmed but you know what he's made everyone of us that prompts give me your whole life and you will want for anything that's good for you. God is so willing but first of all I've got to want him if I never get anything else in life and I can tell you my friend, if you will set your heart to seek the Lord you not want anything you say will now know is from heaven when you start wanting something that doesn't fit into God's plan and purpose.

Feel like you know what you'll do to cancel left and that is all of a sudden you think that I would want that or Gotto show you that doesn't fit into his plan. You could not have a greater goal in life. In this the set your mind as the Scripture says, seek the Lord all the days of your life and then let him decide what he wants to do and you know what, when he decides it.

You don't ever have to worry about if he's going to come up short.

You'll ever have to worry about if he's going to the wrong thing. He's always going to the right thing and he's never going to come up short sometimes to want to be in need is very very good. Someone ask you this question. If God gave you a sheet of paper and he said to you list any three thing in the order in which you want them I will grant them immediately what would they be and in what order would you write if you will do that and be deadly honest with yourself, you will know in your own heart. If you're seeking God or if you're seeking something else. I challenge you to try that. Be honest, not now, but before you came to church today. What was it you really sick would have been Lord to know you all you be to love you to door you to build an intimate relationship with you that the number one I hope so you never have a greater goal in life that the seeking. Thank you for listening to the key to the good things in life. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley my intense ministry, not my intent. Start analyzing podcast is a presentation of InTouch ministries Atlanta, Georgia