193. Satisfied and Delighted
Isaiah 66:11 That ye may suck, and be satisfied with breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.
God promises that we shall be satisfied and delighted with the nourishment and refreshment that He gives. God nourishes and provides and feeds us through the Gospel of Jesus Christ while the Holy Spirit gives life.
We suck milk from the breasts of consolations. The milk of God’s Word is enough to keep us alive and healthy, and the comforts of the Word satisfy us when we hear it and believe it. We go to church to suck the milk of God’s Word. We “milk out.” We may and should grow up further and eventually we be fed with solid food. Solid food is for the mature, but we may still milk out on the breasts of her consolation, for we are continually in need of comforts in a cruel world.
The “her” in this promise is the Church, through which the Holy Spirit preaches the Word and administers the Sacraments. Whenever and wherever believers gather in Jesus’ name He is with us to nourish, comfort, and refresh with the Word. And more than being merely satisfied we are also delighted with the abundance of the glory of the Church. The Glory of the Lord is present on earth in the Church where the Word feeds believers. Every Sunday, and hopefully daily, we are filled with more and more joy caused by the abundance of glory. The glory that we are exposed to when we receive and believe the Gospel of forgiveness and life is more abundant than we minimally need. It brings joy to the world and joy to the heart.
The promise is that what God gives on account of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit using the Word of Gospel is always enough: it satisfies and delights. Even if we receive only the breast milk of the Word it is enough. We go on to solid food, but we never outgrow the need for the milk of comfort from the Church through the Word of Gospel proclaimed.