Ever noticed that when you’re hungry, even the most unhealthy food looks good? And when your soul is dissatisfied, sin looks just as tempting. That’s why we have to constantly try to be spiritually self-aware and monitor our levels of soul satisfaction. On the dashboard of a car are lights that show things like how hot the engine is, or when the fuel or oil is about to run out. It isn;t a good idea to ignore them. If your heart had a dashboard, it would have a ‘soul-satisfaction’ light. So, why do we keep getting snared? Often it’s because when we’re dissatisfied with something about our lives, we’re more vulnerable to temptation. And the deeper our level of discontent, the more vulnerable we are. We were made for soul satisfaction. But we can look for it in the wrong places, instead of turning to God and drawing our refreshment and soul nourishment from our relationship with Him. That’s why in the Bible there are so many Scriptures that call us to joy: ‘The joy of the Lord is your strength.’ ‘You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand’ (Psalm 16:11 NIV). ‘With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation’ (Isaiah 12:3 NIV). ‘Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete’ (John 16:24 NIV). Paul said, ‘The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit’ (Romans 14:17 NIV). Remember the words ‘joy in the Holy Spirit’. The secret to finding joy lies in allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our lives, and remembering that God is bigger and more powerful than any temptation we’ll face.
