Thursday, July 22, 2010
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Our grandson's been on a very limited diet - just mother's milk or baby formula for his first six months. But something's been happening in the last couple of weeks. He has suddenly become fascinated with what the rest of us are eating. Fascinated, you know, as in staring at the food on our plate, the fork going down to get that food, the fork coming up to put that food in our mouth, and our mouth as it's chewing that food. Then repeat the exercise as the fork goes down for another bite. You can tell by the longing look in his eyes, he's not content with that milk or formula anymore. He wants some of that good stuff. If he could talk, I think he might be saying, "Hey! I've been made for more than what I've been getting!"
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Realizing You Were Made For More."
Our grandson's growing dissatisfaction with his liquid diet is actually setting the stage for moving to something much better. In fact, many all grown-up people have some of those same feelings, "I've been made for more than what I've experienced so far." The good news is that, in many lives, restlessness like that has immediately preceded the greatest life upgrade those people have ever experienced.
Many of us know the feeling of a life that is full but not fulfilling. For all the things we've done to get some love, there's never been enough. We're still lonely. For everything we've tried to give more meaning to our life, nothing has ever really satisfied our soul. We're still wondering what the point of it all is. For all we've thought would give us some lasting peace inside, the unrest in our soul just won't go away. Even if you seem to have everything going your way, your heart may still be saying, "I'm made for more than this."
And your heart's right. It's just that the "something more" has always been elusive. It may be within your reach today, if you reach the right direction. Who could have more love, more meaning, more peace to give than the God who gave us our life in the first place? Here's what He says in Isaiah 55, beginning with verse 1; it's our word for today from the Word of God. "Come, all you who are thirsty (or "all you who are restless for more."), come to the waters...come buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare...hear Me, that your soul may live."
God says, "Don't waste any more time or energy on things that can never satisfy your soul. I've got what you're looking for." And where can you find it? It's not in a church. It's not in a religion. It's in a person. Here's what the Bible says about God's Son, Jesus: "All things were created by Him and for Him (that includes you) ... in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" (Colossians 1:16, 2:9). It goes on to say, "You are complete in Him" (Colossians 2:10, KJV). Complete, fulfilled, at peace, because you've found the One you were made by and made for.
Sadly, we haven't lived our life for the One we were made for. We've made it all about me instead of all about Him. So we're away from the One who has the "something more" that we were made for. But in the greatest act of love in human history, Jesus paid the price to give us a chance at knowing God. This same book of the Bible says that He reconciled us to God "by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross" (Colossians 1:20). We can have life now and life forever because He gave up His life for us. But, thank God, He didn't stay dead. He rose from the dead; so He's alive right now and inviting you to turn to Him for what only He can give.
This life-changing relationship with Jesus begins the moment you say, "Lord, I give up running my life. It's Yours to run from now on. I'm putting myself completely in the hands of Jesus, the Man who died and rose again for me." It's exciting to think that this day could be the day that your long search finally ends. A lot of people have found help getting started with Jesus at our website. I want to invite you to check it out. It's simply yoursforlife.net. Or you can call to get this information in my "Yours For Life" booklet. It's 877-741-1200 that you can call and get it.
Jesus is the "something more" you were made for, and He's within your reach today. I am praying that you won't miss Him.