You open your hand
Psalms 145:16 (NIV)
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
Doesn’t it seem like our sadness and joy stem from unfulfilled or fulfilled desires? Consider what makes you happy. Is it not because some deep desire has been at least partially satisfied?
This verse confirms that our desires are a good thing. We have them and God satisfies them; he would not satisfy anything that was not good. Thus, God has given us many healthy, constructive desires: security, belonging, wholeness, inner peace, inner joy, freedom, friendship, community, approval, physical pleasure, love, significance, purpose, value/honor, righteousness (goodness), justification, creativity, fruitfulness, and others. God gave us these desires because they are good and because he wants to fulfill them. He is going to fulfill all these desires in you, in this age and the next, and your joy will be immense.
In this verse, we also see that the satisfaction of our desires lies in God’s hands. When he opens his hand to us, we are satisfied. We may find surface satisfaction somewhere else, but deep fulfillment only comes from God.
Consider your deepest desires. Make a list of the ones that are most important to you. Then ask yourself, “How will these desires be fulfilled?” “How have I tried to fulfill these desires?” “Are my attempts truly successful?” “How can I actively pursue the fulfillment that God wants to give?”
