The Search
“So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And this was my reward from all my labor.
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:9-11 NKJV).
The Provision
“Then they said to Him, What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?
Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’
Therefore they said to Him, ‘What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’
Then they said to Him, ‘Lord, give us this bread always.’
And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst'” (John 6:28-35 NKJV).
A Testimony – R.A. Torrey
There was handed to me one evening in Christ Church, New Zealand, a note from a lady. It read,
“Is there any place where I can find satisfaction for my soul? I have been looking for it everywhere.
- I have sought it in wealth, but have not found it;
- I have sought it in society, but have not found it;
- I have sought it in the pleasures of this world, but have not found it;
- I have sought it in study, but have not found it;
- I have sought it in art, but have not found it;
- I have been seeking it in travel, I have just returned from a tour around the world seeking for satisfaction for my heart, but have not found it.
Can you tell me where I can find it?”
The note was unsigned. I read it before the meeting that night and replied, “Yes, I can tell this lady where she can find satisfaction tonight. She can find it in Jesus. ‘Whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life’” [John 4:13,14].
At the close of the meeting a lady came to me and said, “It was I who wrote that note.” With my open Bible, I showed the Way of Life and she accepted Jesus. The next night she came back and came forward and said, “Last night I wrote a note to Dr. Torrey asking him if there was any place where I could find satisfaction for my soul. I had sought it everywhere. I had sought it in wealth, in fashion, in society, in pleasure, in study, in art and in travel but could not find it. Last night I took Jesus Christ and I have found the satisfaction for my soul which I have been seeking all these years.”
[“Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need!…
You have welcomed me as your guest; blessings overflow!”
Psalm 23:1,5b Living Bible paraphrase]
Have you discovered supernatural satisfaction?
R.A. Torrey, Anecdotes and Illustrations
Headings and Bible passages from Ecclesiastes 2, John ch. 6 and Psalm 23 added. – JBW