Where You Gonna Get Your Fill?

Many thanks to Laurie Hock for this excellent post. After reading it, I just want to yell, "Fill 'er up!" Laurie and I met at She Speaks, and we are now part of a writer's critique group. She is a dynamic ball of fire for the Lord.





The weeks leading up to Christmas are best described as...full. Christmas parties, decorating, purchasing gifts, performances, programs, and other unmentioned clamor. There’s no arguing our holidays are jam-packed, plum full, stuffed to the max. But let’s pause for a moment and ask ourselves, “What what kind of fillers are these?”


Our hearts, souls, and minds naturally need to be filled, but with what? God created us with a need for Him, a hunger for the Holy. This hunger has been misinterpreted in our rush-rush culture of over-scheduled and overtired men, women, and children.

The majority of us aren’t getting “full” on daily doses of the presence of God, nor by fellowshipping with Him through prayer and praise. Instead, most of us end up stuffing our lives with commitments, busyness, and a lot of other eternal unnecessaries. These earthly and temporal fillers are fake. They distract us from our true God-given purpose. These can never satisfy us the way God can.


Fake fillers end up making our schedules fat but leave our souls starving.


We can’t afford to spend our energy filling up on temporal things while sacrificing intimacy with God. The world is stacked with alternative fillers the devil has disguised as good and seemingly godly. These may indeed be good things. But when these activities and obligations fill us up before we give God a chance to, we’re going to be running on empty. We’re not full at all in the way we should be. These fake fillers tend to take more out of us than they give to us.

God desires His children to depend upon Him. He is our ultimate satisfaction. He is the eternal fullness available for us to experience everyday here on earth and forever after. God is the answer to our every need and desire. Our hunger for Him must be quenched above all else. We must look to Him to get our daily fill.


It sounds spectacular to be filled by God, but perhaps intimidating, right? How do you begin to develop and deepen a relationship with Almighty God so He can fill you up? How does He become your fulfillment, your everything?

Psalm 81:10 gives insight. “I am the Lord your God...Open wide your mouth and I will fill it” (NIV).

It’s that simple. God asks us to ask Him. He responds with the promise He will fill what we set before Him. He is our satisfier. God exists to be our Father, our Provider, our Wisdom, our Grace and Guide. He holds all the answers, all the peace, and all of time. What better place to fill up?



Can you think of anything else that can offer you such satisfaction? Will you let God be your fill today? He will fill you up when you make time for Him. God fills us up when we start our day with prayer and praise. God fills us up when we show His love to His people.

God fills us up as we read, meditate on, and proclaim His Word and truth each day. God fills us up as we listen to songs offering Him worship and adoration. God will fill each of us the way He knows we uniquely need. To activate His loving power, we must tell Him that He’s where we want to get our fill. We must offer Him our heart, our time, our lives.

How do you need to rearrange the days leading up to the holidays so you can be full of God, His patience and love instead of stress, frustration and anxiety? Tell me... where you gonna get your fill today?
Laurie Hock


Years ago, my husband, Tony, wrote a song titled, Fill Me Up. Some of the lyrics are: "Fill me up, Holy Spirit. Fill my life to overflowing... that I might be a reflection of Your love."

Lord, Fill me up to the brim with Your truth, Your Word, Your peace, Your presence... that I might overflow and be a reflection of Your love. Thank you, Jesus, that You desire to fill us with Yourself.

Susan

3 comments:

Nancy said...

Really good word, very timely for me !!! thanks
Nancy

Runner Mom said...

Susan, this post form Laurie was great! Thanks! I just read my email the other day!!!!! I am so sorry! I don't check that one much! If you want to get a hold of me, use carolinahoods@charter.net. This idea was amazing!! So glad to read them and just sit in His Presence.

Hugs!
susan

Valerie said...

Praise the Lord Susan

We missed you today. Looked at the Blog when we didn't get the Eternity Devo., and remembered that you were having the Life Nativity. Wish we could have been there. Look forward to having sweet fellowship with you on Monday, G.W. A few of the Eternity Cafe Devotionals ministered to us this week. The one about the presents. We stopped giving out presents along time ago. Keeping the Main thing the Main thing (Jesus Christ and HIS Gift to Us.) HE is the Reason for this Season. Hallelujah Amen!!! Now I just give what's needed or desired. Ex. Bible, Devo. etc. We've also made it a habit of praying for the salvation of the souls we come in contact with. We enjoyed the Devo. about the Mighty Christmas. I said to Valerie, how about an Almighty Christmas. Which we are having right now by the Grace of God. Thank YOU Abba Jesus & Holy Spirit. The Checkout Lane was great. I sent it to a Sister of mine. Valerie & I joined in the singing. Last but not least. We couldn't stop laughing about the one with the Turkey rap. Valerie was telling me Mom take it easy. Have a Blessed Day.

Blessings from,
Valerie & Francisca