Back in 1965 the Rolling Stones recorded a number one hit that delivered a profound message, but it wasn’t necessarily the one they intended. I got to thinking about that this morning as I was reading Psalm 17 and I thought how true the words of that song were when we put them in perspective of where the lost world finds itself today… along with many members of the bride of Christ.
I can’t get no satisfaction
I can’t get no satisfaction
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can’t get no, I can’t get no
When I’m drivin’ in my car
And that man comes on the radio
And he’s tellin’ me more and more
About some useless information
Supposed to fire my imagination
I completely missed the real message back in 1965, and until this morning it was still just a song full of memories of other times and other things. But one verse got me to thinking about it once again:
Ps 17:15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.
As I thought about the message in that verse, God once again (as He does almost daily) reminded me of the message that He has placed on my heart. Our purpose in life, our goal, is to become more like Jesus every day through the leading of the Holy Spirit. If we try to find our own “satisfaction” in life we are destined to fail, just like the words of that song. We need to remember were our satisfaction in life here on earth comes from… John did:
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Paul did:
Rom 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
There’s that verse again; the reason that we will never find “satisfaction” in life outside a life in Christ. No matter what someone tells us we need to do to be satisfied, it will never bring true satisfaction. Because it’s just some useless information, supposed to fire my imagination. And that’s just what the enemy intends for it to be, a distraction that in the end will never satisfy that empty spot we are trying to fill. That’s what David was praying about in Psalm 17. He understood where his satisfaction in life came from… I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness. Yes, in “that day” when we stand before Jesus we will truly be satisfied.
But He isn’t making us wait for that day!
2 Cor 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
That’s the beautiful part of our life in Christ here on earth. We are being transformed “daily” into His image, into His character, into His righteousness. The righteousness that He has already given us, along with our calling to walk it out, day-by-day. The man on the radio That’s tellin’ me more and more about some useless information, that’s supposed to fire my imagination is only there to confuse us and lead us off on some tangent in an attempt to fill that hole in our heart that only Jesus can fill.
Yeah… “I” can’t get no satisfaction outside of Jesus. Why? Because that’s the way we were made. As the bride of Christ we have been filled with His righteousness, and the only way we will ever be truly satisfied in this life is if we allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse our hearts of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) in order that His righteousness can be revealed to the world around us. And in that, God receives the glory!
Think about that. The satisfaction that we are trying to achieve isn’t “out there somewhere” to be searched for and discovered. It’s just a heartbeat away. And to enjoy it, all we have to do is walk with our bridegroom every day and He will reveal His true satisfaction… one day at a time, one heartbeat at a time. He will renew our mind (Rom 12:2) and keep us focused on what will bring true and eternal satisfaction… right here, right now. All we need to do is let His Spirit… Fire our imagination!