The Source of All Things

Ever get that feeling, deep down, that something is missing.  It gnaws at the pit of your stomach, almost as if you are hungry, but food won’t satisfy the feeling.  With the agitation, you pace back and forth, nothing seems to settle you down, and if you would allow yourself, you might abandon everything, hoping, in someway, to find relief.

We were created to be satisfied, to find contentment in the Creator, but as sin has ravaged the landscape our ability to find what we deeply desire, more often than not, eludes us.  Posting on Facebook, some friends have observed, “Trusting God completely means Faith that he knows what is best for your life,” “Don’t confuse your path with your destination. Just because it’s stormy now doesn’t mean that you aren’t headed for sunshine,” and a quote from proverbs 29:26, “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”  All of these observation have a basic understanding in common, “God is the source of all things.” 

Understanding the concept of God as source is important if we are to find satisfaction in life, in both the good and the bad times.  In the beginning (Genesis 1 and 2) we see that God is the source of creation, He breathes into man a life giving spirit, and he walks with him in the garden.  There were no nagging doubts about roles and purpose.  God gave life, He assigned responsibilities, and He sustained all that was, and it was good.

Knowing God as the source of all things gives us a place to return when we are looking for answers.  Knowing God as the source of all things gives us security when life becomes unstable.  Knowing God as the source of all things gives us hope, because what he declared good in the beginning, though marred and obscured by sin, is still good today.   When we get those gnawing feelings they are signs of something missing, they are God given, not that we would lose hope, but that we would seek satisfaction in Him, to find answers in His good will, and find rest in His love and grace. 

It isn’t easy, because sin has deceived us into believing that our way is best, that we can find satisfaction and contentment in other things, or that running away will bring us the peace we are seeking.  And because we can’t see tomorrow we tend to worry, and miss the opportunities that we have today.  That is why Jesus said not to think about tomorrow, for today is enough to be concerned about. 

A friend’s husband went into the hospital this week, another’s mom had a stroke, another lost his job, and still another is trying to figure out where he fits in the world of churches.  All of them will wrestle with fundamental questions of God’s goodness and will.  If they seek answers apart from God’s revealed word, the gnawing feelings they have inside will never be satisfied.  They will find themselves further from the source of all goodness and peace.  In my own daily search for deep meaning and satisfaction, I think it best to go straight to the source.  I’m just saying……