The Rolling Stones

hit the nail on the head with their hit song, “I Can’t Get No

Satisfaction.”  If we’re honest with

one another, what most often consumes our thoughts and hearts is what we do not

have.  We’re always in need of

something.  Simply put, we’re never

satisfied.

We have two holidays

coming up that stand in stark contrast with one another: Thanksgiving and

Christmas.  On Thursday, we’re giving

thanks for our blessings.  On Friday,

we’re shoving people out of our way because we absolutely have to get that TV

deal for Johnny’s gift this year!

We can’t get no

satisfaction.  If we could, the

advertising industry wouldn’t be the giant that it is.  Americans wouldn’t be in the mountain of debt

that they are in.  According to Discover,

the average household carries $16K of credit card debt and $132K of other types

of debt.

Why can’t we get no

satisfaction?  Because we are always

focused on what we do not have.  We focus

on how things could be better.  We want that

new iPhone, that bigger or newer car. 

Financial institutions and retailers are great marketers!  No interest for a year, 5% cash back, free

one-day shipping, rewards a-plenty, spend more – save more.

We’re great at

justifying spending ourselves, too. 

You’ve earned it, you definitely need it.  Yours keeps breaking down and is starting to

nickel-and-dime you.  It’s for your kid’s

safety.  You’ll get more done if you had

it.  The excuses go on and on that we

give ourselves.

There’s nothing

wrong with having nice things, but there is obviously something wrong when we

spend what we don’t have to get it. 

God’s word is true when we’re advised that:

Proverbs 22:7

The rich rule over

the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

You work too hard to

still be in slavery!  You work too hard

to make someone else rich!  Every swipe

of that credit card is like going to the bank and applying for a loan.  That $8 lunch is going to end up costing you

$16 by the time that you pay it off!

Sometimes we can’t

get no satisfaction in life for the same reason.  We wish that we were thinner, smarter,

prettier, bolder, anything-ier than what we are.  The comparison game is a losing one – a

chasing after the wind as Solomon put it in Ecclesiastes or just dust in the

wind as Kansas put it.

What does God ask of

us to achieve greatness?  What does God

ask of us to meet our legitimate needs?

Whatcha got?

God doesn’t need you

to get something more to be blessed, God desires to bless what you already

have!

Jesus gave another

contrast to two churches found in Revelation:

Revelation 2:8-9a

8 “To the angel of

the church in Smyrna write:

These are the words

of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know

your afflictions and your poverty – yet you are rich!

Revelation 3:14;17

14 “To the angel of

the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words

of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither

cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are

lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you

do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

What do you

have?  What has God entrusted to

you?  You may not think that you have

much by the world’s standards, but to Jesus, you are rich!  Sure you may be afflicted or even in poverty,

but Jesus says you are rich! 

You are blessed and

dearly loved.  You were worth the King of

kings and Lord of lords sacrificing everything!

1 Timothy 6:6

…godliness with

contentment is great gain.

God asked Moses,

“Whatcha got?”  With his staff

and cloak, he performed the miraculous to lead God’s people to their freedom

and another step closer to the promised land even parting the Red Sea with it. 

With a simple cloak,

Elijah and Elisha parted the Jord