Lost in a Haunted Wood
“The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 1:8-9
No verse better describes the plight of a person without God in his or her life: bored and itching for something more. People look for happiness in marriage, money, and mischief, but nothing completes their joy. Our desires and cravings continue to irritate, making us restless for more. But earth can never satisfy; it can never keep its promises.
I sometimes see this on nights when I wheel into a hotel after a speaking engagement. The bedtime hour has long past, but the lounge is still crowded, smoky, noisy, and packed with people on a search. What’s even more sad is to pass that lounge the next morning and still see people leaning on the bar and fingering a half-empty drink.
It’s strange how people are bent on mad pursuit, making the same mistakes every day, hoping that life will someday reveal an answer, even though the experiences of most have taught them otherwise. Why do people keep seeking and pushing past the boredom? Because people have to. Our seeking is a response to the stirring of a fundamental need that simply must be satisfied—our need for God. Every desire, longing, aspiration, hunger, and thirst is no less than a desire for God.
Are you bored? Anxious? Toying with temptation? Looking for something new, exciting, or enticing to satisfy some inner craving? Listen to those wants. They show you what you really desire: “God is the answer to our deepest longings” (1 Cor. 6:13 PHILLIPS).
I want to be satisfied with you, Lord. Completely. Remind me of this when my heart starts to wander.
Why Should We Love the Return of Christ?
Pastor John Piper joins the podcast to share a hopeful vision for the second coming of Jesus. Hear how anticipating the return of Christ can help people who are suffering with hardship and disability today, plus the importance of cultivating a deep love for the Savior as we await his return.
