366. Satisfied and Never Ashamed
Joel 2:26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
God promises that the Christian will never be hungry and that he will always be satisfied. Naturally, this promise does not apply to physical hunger and satisfaction. All believers throughout the world have not always eaten plenty; many people still go hungry. All believers are not always full and satisfied either. Hunger and emptiness remain for some.
We can, we may, and we should apply this promise to spirituaL hunger and satisfaction. Christians do become spiritually hungry, even dry and empty, and they often want more of God. And the Lord supplies the Spirit and provides the Bread of Life. Filling is always available, for the Word and Spirit are always around. We may go to God in prayer and ask for the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:13: “How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Jesus gives Bread for the soul freely and abundantly, even extravagantly enough to have twelve baskets left over. We just open the Bible; repeat memorized Bible verses, or listen to the Gospel when preached. If God sends a severe judgment, as in Hosea 8:11 (“I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, but of hearing the words of the Lord”), it would be the most terrible thing we can imagine. May it never be!
We eat spiritual food in plenty, and we may be satisfied. We are not always satisfied, however, because, like unbelievers, even believers try to satisfy the soul with earthly pleasures, creature comforts, rich food, more money, fleeting fame, and false power. These do not satisfy, of course, so we still want more. When we look to and trust in the only right source for filling we will be permanently satisfied with life, for in Jesus we have all the life we can handle.
God promises that we will never be ashamed, disappointed, let down, discouraged, or regretful for believing in Jesus. Jesus never fails. As the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” You get what you signed up for when you believe in Christ. Do not cast away your confidence, for Jesus made a promise.