“Many people say, ‘Who will show us better times?’ Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” (Psalm 4:6–8 NLT)

 

Dissatisfaction is the last of life’s headwinds that we’ll be talking about this week. It’s also one of the most common. Even those of us who like to think of ourselves as low-maintenance and unassuming harbor certain hopes and expectations for this life. We want meaning and purpose, among other things. When life fails to deliver, we’re left feeling disappointed, dissatisfied, and maybe even a little cheated.

Only humans have a longing for meaning in life. I can assure you that my dog doesn’t sit around pondering the reason for his existence. He won’t be looking back on his life and saying, “You know, I tried it all as a dog. I chased cats. I drank toilet water. I tried bones. But deep inside of me, there was a void.” Dogs don’t think that way. They mainly think, “Food . . . sleep.”

Dogs, you see, aren’t made in the image of God. You and I are. We are living souls, designed to know God and to experience something more than a mundane, directionless existence.

From the time of our birth, we’ve been on a quest to discover that “something more.” And we keep searching until we discover that the answer to all our questions is found in a relationship with our Creator. God can give us a sense of joy and fulfillment that far surpasses the puny, fleeting pleasures this world offers. Even better, there’s no hangover in the morning. There’s no guilt or shame that accompanies it.

The psalmists understood this. Psalm 4:6–8 says, “Many people say, ‘Who will show us better times?’ Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe” (NLT).

And Psalm 16:11 says, “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever” (NLT). There’s pleasure in knowing God, not in chasing after happiness.

In fact, we’ll never find happiness by chasing it. But what we will find is that as we chase God—as we pursue and walk with Him—then one day we will realize that we’ve become happy people. Happiness doesn’t come through actively seeking it but by getting our lives into proper balance, by aligning ourselves with God and His will for our lives. Happiness and joy are the byproducts of that balance and alignment.

Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33 NLT). In other words, if you seek God and His plan first, everything else in life, including happiness and peace, will fall into place.

 

Reflection question: What would seeking God and His plan first look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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&ldquo;Many people say, &lsquo;Who will show us better times?&rsquo; Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.&rdquo; (Psalm 4:6&ndash;8 NLT)
&nbsp;
Dissatisfaction is the last of life&rsquo;s headwinds that we&rsquo;ll be talking about this week. It&rsquo;s also one of the most common. Even those of us who like to think of ourselves as low-maintenance and unassuming harbor certain hopes and expectations for this life. We want meaning and purpose, among other things. When life fails to deliver, we&rsquo;re left feeling disappointed, dissatisfied, and maybe even a little cheated.
Only humans have a longing for meaning in life. I can assure you that my dog doesn&rsquo;t sit around pondering the reason for his existence. He won&rsquo;t be looking back on his life and saying, &ldquo;You know, I tried it all as a dog. I chased cats. I drank toilet water. I tried bones. But deep inside of me, there was a void.&rdquo; Dogs don&rsquo;t think that way. They mainly think, &ldquo;Food .&nbsp;.&nbsp;. sleep.&rdquo;
Dogs, you see, aren&rsquo;t made in the image of God. You and I are. We are living souls, designed to know God and to experience something more than a mundane, directionless existence.
From the time of our birth, we&rsquo;ve been on a quest to discover that &ldquo;something more.&rdquo; And we keep searching until we discover that the answer to all our questions is found in a relationship with our Creator. God can give us a sense of joy and fulfillment that far surpasses the puny, fleeting pleasures this world offers. Even better, there&rsquo;s no hangover in the morning. There&rsquo;s no guilt or shame that accompanies it.
The psalmists understood this. Psalm 4:6&ndash;8 says, &ldquo;Many people say, &lsquo;Who will show us better times?&rsquo; Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe&rdquo; (NLT).
And Psalm 16:11 says, &ldquo;You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever&rdquo; (NLT). There&rsquo;s pleasure in knowing God, not in chasing after happiness.
In fact, we&rsquo;ll never find happiness by chasing it. But what we will find is that as we chase God&mdash;as we pursue and walk with Him&mdash;then one day we will realize that we&rsquo;ve become happy people. Happiness doesn&rsquo;t come through actively seeking it but by getting our lives into proper balance, by aligning ourselves with God and His will for our lives. Happiness and joy are the byproducts of that balance and alignment.
Jesus said, &ldquo;Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need&rdquo; (Matthew 6:33 NLT). In other words, if you seek God and His plan first, everything else in life, including happiness and peace, will fall into place.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What would seeking God and His plan first look like in your life?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

Joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction come from seeking God and His plan for your life.