READ: PSALM 107:8-9; MATTHEW 13:44-46; JOHN 4:1-30

During Christmas, our hearts are full of expectations. Things like, who we will see, what we will eat, and what we will receive. Then, once all the gifts are opened, the food is gone, and the guests are saying goodbye, we may experience an instant breath of fulfillment. Unfortunately, we often find this fulfillment lasts only till December 26th. On the day after Christmas, we may wish we had asked for something else.

Our desire for fulfillment is never really satisfied, is it? Ecclesiastes 1:7-8 sums it up this way: “Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.”

Thankfully, we find hope in John 4:13-14. Jesus is talking with a Samaritan woman who comes to the well every day to draw water, and He gives her the answer to the age-old question: Where does true fulfillment come from? Jesus says, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

Only Jesus will fulfill us. That’s not to say we shouldn’t enjoy and look forward to presents or food or time with friends and family. But we need to look to the Lord to satisfy us, before we look to anything else. Jesus taught us to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness first (Matthew 6:33). And Jesus told parables to show us how the kingdom of heaven is worth more than anything else we could ever want. He said God’s kingdom “is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field” (Matthew 13:44). The man was so excited, he sold everything he had so he could buy the field. Then Jesus told a similar parable about a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found a valuable pearl, the merchant sold all he had and bought it (verse 45-46). When we realize how much God loves us, everything else pales in comparison.

Knowing God is what we were created for. That’s why we will only ever be satisfied in Him. And Jesus came so we could be with Him forever. So, as we’re in the midst of the holidays, we can ask God to fill us with joy this season, to help us enjoy His good gifts, and to teach us to live with a greater awareness of His presence. The Lord truly is our fulfillment. • Ana Johnson

• Can you think of a time something felt really fulfilling in the moment, but then that feeling faded? How is Jesus different?

For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:9 (NLT)