Listen to Audio Devotion

Ecclesiastes 2:1-2
“I said to myself, ‘Come! I will test pleasure to see whether it is worthwhile.’ But look, ‘This also is vanity!’ I said of laughter, ‘It is folly!’ and of pleasure, ‘What does it accomplish?’ –

Pleasure is something that we seek, directly or indirectly, all the time. After all, pleasure is a good thing that God has given us. And there are several means to gain pleasure, and each means of gaining pleasure provides a different kind of pleasure. Some common examples include taking pleasure in hot water baths, eating chocolates, watching stand-up comedy, shopping with the best deals in the market, exercising, watching short format videos like reels, and so many other things – you can fill in the blanks. But have any of the above completely satisfied you?

If you have read the life of Solomon, you’ll know that he has been there, done that. You can bring up all sorts of things that can provide pleasure; be assured that Solomon had done that. Now, someone might say that he hasn’t tried gaming on PlayStation with his friends. Yeah, definitely not, but he had covered all bases when it came to enjoying life to the fullest. But was he actually satisfied?

No matter how much he indulged in himself, or no matter what he personally achieved, he counts it all as vanity. Nothing satisfied the wisest and richest man. This quest for pleasure isn’t something foreign to us. We see the most successful people seeking after something, hoping that it could satisfy them. Our culture, entertainment, lifestyles, and passions have changed drastically over the past few decades.

There is definitely nothing wrong with pleasure, but what matters is the means. Only when we look for pleasure in the means that truly satisfy us will there be an attitude of contentment. If we can truly enjoy something for a few moments but are dissatisfied with that enjoyment, what good can it bring? In worldly terms, we’ll just be chasing after the next ‘kick’ or the next ‘hit,’ or however you want to phrase it.

The most quoted words of John Piper are these: ‘God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him.’ Let’s take a pause and chew on those words slowly. God can be glorified by our pleasure when we source our pleasure from God. One of the first attributes of God that I learned was that He is our El-Shaddai – God All-Sufficient, also translated as God Almighty. Let’s turn to our El Shaddai. If we believe His word to be true, then He will satisfy us.

Prayer

God, we turn to You for our satisfaction. As we continue to read more of Your Word and as we speak with You, satisfy our hearts’ longings. Oh Father, be glorified in our satisfaction. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”