Seeking a soul-satisfying Savior

Have you ever received a gift that you'd been wanting for a long time? Maybe it was an engagement ring or a new car or a bucket-list trip. In that moment, you may have been filled with so much happiness that you felt you couldn't ever possibly want another thing. Your heart was content - until the ring lost its sparkle, the trip was over and the car needed an oil change.

God, in His infinite goodness and generosity, has given us many gifts. Family, friends, food, and the beauty of His creation are just a few of those blessings.

But the greatest gift of all is the free gift of faith, aptly described as indescribable in Scripture and made possible only by His Son, Jesus (John 3:16, 4:10, Ephesians 2:8, 4:7, 2 Corinthians 9:15, Romans 6:23).

Some 2,000 years ago, a group of men and women were eagerly awaiting a gift that had been promised to them. After His resurrection, Jesus promised to send them the Helper or Holy Spirit once He had gone to heaven. When they received the Spirit at Pentecost, they immediately began to speak in tongues and were accused of being drunk.

But the apostle Peter explained what the prophet Joel had foretold:

"And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and daughters will prophesy ... I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy" (Acts 2:17-18).

Jesus is the only One who can truly satisfy, who cannot be lost, who has no limits and can never loose His luster. Jesus is the Gift above all other gifts, and never more so than on Easter.

Yet, we must open our hearts to receive Him.

Being saturated in the Spirit

There are many things people give up for Lent: sweets, Starbucks, red meat, alcohol, social media and an untamed tongue are just a few. Much like fasting, the whole point of forsaking these comforts or habits is so that we can be emptied of worldly, carnal pleasures to be filled with the Spirit of God.

Being filled with the Spirit doesn't mean the Holy Spirit stops indwelling you at any point once saved. We are sealed by this Person of the Trinity as a guarantee or down payment of our salvation once we have confessed Christ as Savior (Ephesians 1:13-14). No one and nothing can break the seal of God, separate us from His love or snatch us from His hand (John 10:28, Romans 8:38-39).

Being filled with the Spirit means you have immersed yourself in God's Word and prayer so much that you are overflowing with the fruits of His Spirit. You are seeping Godly wisdom. You are saturated, soaked and completely under the influence of the Savior.

"And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18).

In other words, do not get drunk with wine; get drunk on Jesus.

Because being drunk on Jesus doesn't result in a hangover but in holiness and happiness that transcends circumstance.

There is nothing more satisfying.

When we fast from food or technology or an activity or behavior, we exchange a temporary, momentary pleasure for a lasting, eternal treasure. We are acknowledging and agreeing that Jesus is the Savior who satisfies time and time again.