Satis-facere in His Presence
Are there people you can be with that bring you joy simply by being in their presence? Are there places you can go that bring you peace and calm simply by being there? There are people in my life, my wife being at the top of that list, who by their very presence are satisfying. We can be sitting at home watching tv, enjoying a quiet evening on our back patio, or chilling at the beach, and just by being near her, my soul is at rest. It is being in her presence that first and foremost calms my soul. It is then in that presence that I get to witness, or be a recipient of, her good works.
And being in the vicinity of the ocean is our happy place, and often as we walk through the dunes, just hearing, smelling, and seeing the surf and sand, we say to each other, “feel the crap flying off yet?” It is not doing something at the beach that brings us peace and calm. Those come solely by being at the beach.
The word satisfaction comes from two Latin words – satis (enough) and facere (to make, do, perform). Its origin (satis-facere) means simply to do enough. Satisfaction, being satisfied, is not completely dependent upon feelings or attitudes. There are other factors at play. Satisfaction is sometimes found in doing enough. Other times, however, to do enough is found in the being rather than in the doing. Wow, think about those last few sentences for a minute.
Now let me ask this – are you satisfied in God? Isn’t it true that our delight is sometimes based solely upon whether or not God has done what we asked, when we asked it. Yes, God is a good, good Father who meets our every need, but He is not some sort of bellhop, standing by, at our beck and call, always willing to do whatever we ask. Notice that I began this paragraph asking if you are satisfied in God rather than satisfied with God. I believe in focuses on who God is (being, presence) while with points to God’s marvelous deeds (doing). Both God’s proximity and deeds bring joy and satisfaction, but it is in that presence that we then find His power. Not vice versa.
In order to find lasting peace and joy no matter what life throws our way, our satis-facere must come from simply being in God’s presence. That satisfaction is rooted in who God is, not in what He does. We find these words in Psalm 16:11 – “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Elsewhere, still in the psalms – “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Be careful here. The focus of this verse is on us delighting and not in God giving. Taking delight in Yahweh means that we find our satisfaction in Him. If we truly do that (delight in the LORD), our desires will begin to parallel His desires, and those parallel desires of our heart will not go unfulfilled.
Keeping in the psalms, we are told that there is nothing better than being in the presence of God. Psalm 84:10 begins this way – “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.”
Ask God for a faith that is grounded in, rooted in, His presence. Your satis-facere is found in that presence. It is truly enough. Let me end with lyrics from the worship song “I Love Your Presence” – “In the glory of your presence, I find rest for my soul. In the depths of your love, I find peace makes me whole.”
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