Satisfied. . . at Last!: Learning to Be Fully Satisfied with the Bread of Life

By Kay Harms

Soul hungers are real and normal. Unfortunately, these universal human longings can drive us to dangerous places, risky behaviors, and enslaving addictions. Much of the drama and discontent that plagues the lives of modern women can be traced directly to a hungry soul. Women often try to satisfy their cravings by shopping, overeating, seeking the attention of men, or having children. What they really hunger for, though, is deep and lasting spiritual fulfillment.

In Satisfied...at Last!, author Kay Harms shows women who are tired of looking for soul satisfaction in all the wrong places how to find truth, guidance, and fulfillment by interacting with the Word of God intimately and daily. But, for even the most devout Christians, the Bible can be mystifying. How can an invisible, spirit-God satisfy the deepest cravings of the soul, when He cant be seen, heard, or touched? Through thirty truthful, transparent lessons, Satisfied...at Last! guides the reader through a study of the Scriptures specially designed to address the soul hungers of women. Why settle for unfulfilling junk food when the Word of God can introduce you to the richly satisfying Bread of Life?

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490891576

Book preview

SATISFIED…

At Last!

Learning to be Fully Satisfied with the Bread of Life

Kay Harms

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Copyright © 2015 Kay Harms.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-9156-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-9157-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015914062

WestBow Press rev. date: 08/18/2015

Contents

Foreword

Week 1 - Are You Hungry?

Week 2 - Can’t Get No Satisfaction?

Week 3 – Eat What is Good

Week 4 – A New Diet Plan

Week 5 – I’m Learning to Be Content

Week 6 – The Land of Milk & Honey

About the Author

To my husband,

James…

For years I loaded the burden of my fulfillment and joy on your shoulders but, as broad and strong as they may be, you were not meant to carry that responsibility. You have been a good husband, a responsible provider for our family, a trustworthy friend, a constant encourager, and a loving father. You have been exactly what God meant for you to be to me. You and I have complemented each other well. We have enjoyed the gift of marriage, the joy of parenthood, and the journey of ministry together and loved every minute. But you were never meant to be my all-in-all.

Through your ministry and in our relationship, you have pointed to Jesus as the all sufficient Savior. Your personal walk with the Lord has consistently illustrated that He alone can satisfy our every need. We have depended on Him to provide financially, to give wisdom, to direct our steps, to buffer our falls, and to grant us daily grace. I know He is your best friend and He’s mine too. That mutual friendship and the triangle it forms have kept us united and on each other’s team even when we were at odds. What a blessing to know that when you and I go tell our Best Friend on each other, we’re talking to the same Friend!

Thank you for doing this ministry thing with me. I love you.

Kay

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my deepest appreciation to those who have encouraged and assisted me as I’ve written this study. I will not begin to name names for fear of leaving someone out who prayed for me, spoke an encouraging word to me, asked repeatedly when I would be done, or even helped fund my efforts. But suffice it to say that without the constant nudges in the right direction these words might just be another file on my computer instead of a book in the hands of hungry Bible students. Thank you, dear friends and family members, for pushing me toward my goal with unflappable love and support.

I am indebted to two special women in particular, however. Kim Tucker delved into this Bible study and looked up every scripture, answered every question and even drew every requested diagram as I wrote it. She was my gracious guinea pig and for her willingness to do this Bible study while she juggled several others she was teaching, I owe her a debt of gratitude. Trudie Jackson graciously gave of her time and energy to edit my work. I deeply appreciate her diligence and partnership in ministry through this unglamorous but necessary task. Thank you, ladies.

Foreword

I am thrilled you have chosen to join me for a Bible study. I want you to know I have not taken the writing of this study lightly for even one minute. I consider it a great privilege and an even greater responsibility to carefully lead you in a study of God’s precious and inspired Word.

I am not a great theologian. I am simply a student of the Bible who has found a great treasure worth sharing. Please feel free to question my statements and my interpretation of scripture. It is my hope to lead you into the depths of God’s Word so that you can read its truth for yourself, claiming it as your own, and pressing it into your heart so that it makes its indelible imprint. My words are nothing special, but His surely are.

Satisfied…at Last is such a personal message to me. Even as a good Sunday school student who had her daily quiet time, I struggled for years to find contentment. I just knew there was something missing. I had no doubt I was a true believer and was certain the Holy Spirit lived in me; however, I continued to search outside of my faith for that which would satisfy my soul.

I first realized I had a problem when my neediness and demanding spirit began to create a wedge between my husband and me. I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t meeting all of my needs. Wasn’t he supposed to? But, alas, no matter how hard he tried (and he did try) he couldn’t.

Through the years I have sought satisfaction for my hungry soul in any number of venues. Some proved to be disappointing right from the get-go. Others provided satisfaction, but it was fleeting and unpredictable. A few turned out to be dangerous and still others made me a fool. Finally, I found that the only source of true satisfaction comes from Jesus, the self-proclaimed Bread of Life. He alone can meet my every need and does so willingly and with such grace and dignity. He never makes a fool out of me.

I wrote this Bible study because I have seen that familiar woman-on-a-hunt-for-satisfaction look on too many faces. I hear their stories and their frustrations and I sense they are looking to their husbands, children, professions, and friends to meet their souls’ desires. I have talked with women who honestly believe that if they only lived in a different neighborhood, had a better wardrobe, worked for a more appreciative boss, or earned another degree, they would finally be content. And I hear young women just starting out in life who are mapping out their treasure hunt for satisfaction as though their five-year plan for college, career and marriage will result in complete bliss with never another worry.

Dear friend, are you hungry? Do you ever wake up and just have a nagging longing for what you do not know? Do you sometimes look around and wonder, Is this it? Is there more? Do you find yourself frustrated with the people in your life because they don’t give you the time you need or the attention you deserve? Do you accumulate possessions with the hope they will give you some sense of joy only to later find them both bothersome and outdated? Do you engage in one pursuit after another, believing that surely this activity will be the one that really rocks your world, ignites your flame? I’ve done all those things.

I’m going to cheat and tell you one of the most delightful things you’ll learn in this study. God knows you’re hungry. In fact, He made you that way and is more than willing to satisfy that soul hunger single-handedly…and He is up to the task.

And so I invite you to join me on this journey to contentment. I can honestly tell you that I am satisfied, completely satisfied, at last. You can be too.

Come and hear, all who fear God, and I will tell you what He has done for my soul. (Psalm 66:16)

Week 1 - Are You Hungry?

Why is it that sometimes we feel perfectly on top of the world and at other times we feel, for no particular reason, like the world is on top of us?

I’ve noticed that my behavior and emotions often change depending upon how full or empty I am. You know those sensations. You feel full when you believe life is good, all your needs are being met, your relationships are meaningful and intact, your work is satisfying, and your days are productive. Or maybe you feel empty when no one seems to notice or appreciate you, your work has become drudgery, you’ve lost your sense of purpose, you’re bored with your same old furniture and wardrobe, or you just…feel…disconnected…from the universe.

Often our emotions, thoughts, dispositions and behaviors ebb and flow in correlation to the fullness level of our tank. What tank? That internal space that longs to be filled with something good and satisfying. Just as our appetites for various foods change, so do our desires to be filled with different things. Sometimes we need a little love, sometimes we want appreciation, and other times our lives need purpose, and so on and so on. The bottom line is we’re yearning for something to make us feel whole and alive. And when that yearning goes unmet, the disappointment usually shows up in our tone of voice, on our faces, and in the little things we do.

This week we’ll discover what Jesus has to say about the hungers of our souls. We’ll do a little self-examination to better understand what it is we’re longing for. Finally, we’ll discover where and how we can get those hungers met. If you’re hungry for anything at all, you’ve come to the right place. I invite you to take a seat at the table, put your napkin in your lap, and prepare for a feast. Indeed, there is one who can satisfy your soul. Let’s meet Him and find out how.

Day 1

We All Like to Eat

I’m so glad it is acceptable these days to admit you love food. I am, unashamedly, a foodie! I love to go to new restaurants, try different foods, and explore exotic flavors. I enjoy swapping recipes with good cooks, watching the experts whip up a savory dish on The Food Network, buying new cooking supplies at hen parties, and experimenting with new ingredients when cooking for my family. Not yet convinced that I’m more into food than the average American housewife? How about this? I even enjoy grocery shopping – to the point that I have to make myself head for the check-out line.

Most people enjoy food on some level. Even if you’re somebody who eats from a very narrow menu – perhaps a vegetarian, a diabetic, or just a picky eater – you probably enjoy the benefits of delicious and satisfying food. There’s just something satisfying about sitting down to a well prepared, aromatic, and tasty meal, savoring each bite, and leaving the table pleasantly full and nourished for the next portion of your day.

Wondering where I’m going with this? Perhaps this is a strange place to begin a Bible study, but as we ease ourselves into this topical study let’s start with a few fun and simple questions.

What are some of your favorite foods?

Describe an exceptionally satisfying meal you consumed recently. What made it good? Where did you eat the meal and with whom did you share it? Note anything that made it special.

Now that I’ve managed to awaken your taste buds and set your stomach to growling, let’s open God’s Word and read through a passage we will be feasting on throughout the week. In an attempt to draw some precepts from John 6 that we can apply to our lives, we are going to study the passage inductively. That means we will:

o slow down and read with a purpose

o allow the text to speak for itself

o ask questions such as who, what, where, when, why, and how as we read

o follow careful observation with responsible interpretation

o apply what we learn to our lives

In order to fully absorb what you are reading, I encourage you to consider marking in your Bible as you read. It’s amazing what a few colored pencils can do to help you better understand the complexities of God’s Word. Sweet friend, don’t be afraid to mark in your Bible. Visualize the well placed underlines and circles as the forks and knives that help you ingest the meat of God’s Word.

In fact you will probably find those marks to be a treasure to you as the years go by and as you return to those passages to dine again and again. If you’re willing to make a few carefully selected marks in your Bible, I’ll guide you in choosing what to mark and how to mark it. If you still prefer not to mark in your Bible, I suggest you print a copy of our selected passage from an Internet source such as www.Biblegateway.com so you can mark it instead.

We are going to read a small portion of John 6 several times today. Please don’t be tempted, as I often am, to take a short cut and read it only once. Reading a passage several times and looking for different information each time is foundational to studying the Bible inductively. This practice is what allows the Holy Spirit time to open your eyes to the most subtle brushstrokes which ultimately make the picture come together into a powerful, life-changing image.

Please pause to pray, asking the Holy Spirit to direct your study and open your eyes to His teaching.

________ I stopped to pray before proceeding with today’s Bible study.

Please read John 6:1-14, marking the following words and their synonyms as you go:

Now, based on what you read, answer the following questions.

Where is Jesus?

What has He been doing according to verse 2?

What is Jesus’ concern in verse 5?

Please read John 6:1-14 again, this time marking all references to time and amounts.

For instance, you might put a small clock like this 27582.png to mark a reference to time in verse 4. I used the pound sign, #, to mark references to amount as in verse 7 (I found two here). Remember to slow down a little!

Based on what you read, answer these questions:

When do the events of chapter 6 take place?

Who answered Jesus’ question about where they could buy food by telling Him about amounts?

Think with me on this one. What specifically did Jesus ask the disciples in verse 5?

As I mentioned earlier, we’re studying the scripture today by asking the questions who, what, when, where, why and how. These are the very same questions I learned to ask while attending journalism school and had the task of writing news articles. When asking questions in an interview you want to make sure you get correlating answers. When you ask a where question, you need a where answer. And if you ask who, you don’t want a why answer. You probably noticed that Jesus asked one of these questions of His disciples. He asked them where they could buy bread to feed the multitude. Look at the two answers the disciples gave Jesus in verses 7 and 9. Did they answer the question where or did they answer the wrong question?

How would you classify their answers? What question(s) were they seemingly answering?

Circle one or two.      Who?      What?      When?      How?      Why?      Where?

Bless their hearts; the disciples were still learning how to respond to Jesus. Perhaps you and I are still on the same journey. I think it’s noteworthy that Jesus didn’t seem to get frustrated with Philip and Andrew for answering His where question with how and who answers. Instead, I imagine He smiled at them with compassion before He went on to answer the question Himself. You see, the answer He was looking for, I believe, was nowhere. There is nowhere we can go to get enough food to fill these people, Lord, except to You. And so, since His disciples seemed confused by the question and unable to supply the correct answer, Jesus simply sat the people down and began feeding them. He showed them the answer to His question.

One last time, please read John 6:1-14 in your Bible. This time look for and mark references to the following words and their synonyms:

You’ve done a lot of work today. But I don’t want us to finish this session having exerted our brain muscles but wondering what the benefit was. Let’s answer just a few more questions based on our reading and then we’ll be ready to draw some basic conclusions from our study.

Who initiated the marvelous mealtime we read about in John 6? Whose idea was it to fill the people’s bellies? Explain your answer.

How full do you think the people were when the meal was over? Why?

What was the people’s reaction to the meal Jesus supplied?

Like I mentioned earlier, I’m thrilled that it is considered in to admit your passion for food these days. I don’t have to be a closet foodie! The more exciting news is that Jesus recognizes our affinity for food as well. He wasn’t annoyed by the fact that 5,000+ people were hungry for something to put in their stomachs via their salivating mouths. And if he heard a few stomachs growl while he taught