Filling the Void

       By Rocco T

Psalm 139:1,2  “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.”

What is that special something that everybody is searching for? People live their whole lives looking for and believing they know what will make them happy. We could name the extreme here and say, just look at Hollywood. People have it all, Money, fame, relationships, everything they want and yet are still not happy. We read all the time of their lives spiraling out of control. Those alone should be examples enough to show us that all the world has to offer is not going to make any of us happy.

But let’s look at a more down to earth middle of the road example. I just read an article about 78 year old man who was a great guy and was completely dedicated to his wife and her career until he recently passed away. This is a tragedy for his wife and family and my condolences go out to them.

But there is a more pressing tragedy. That he died a non Believer. All of that effort in his life, all of that dedication to his wife, all of his desires that he worked for his whole life are gone. They mean absolutely nothing right now. I’m sorry if that sounds harsh to some people, my intention is not to be harsh. My intention is to focus on what matters in life, What really matters.

Nothing in this world matters to a hill of beans when you die except for your life in the Lord. If you have no life in the Lord, If you’re not trusting in him as your savior and have no daily relationship with him. The moment you die, Not one thing you did your whole life, really matters. You could have been Mother Theresa, You could have been saving lives everyday, You could have been feeding the hungry or you could have just been that normal decent guy dedicated to his wife, but if you die without God; It means nothing.

I myself for years thought I knew what would make me happy. I had grown up in a Christian home with more advantages than most when it came to knowing about the Lord. But growing up as a teenager, I went the other way. I didn’t reject God outright because I knew God was the right way but I just wanted to go out and have fun with my friends. All the while playing Russian roulette with my soul. Thank God he did not allow me to stray too far and eventually used my family to bring me back to him.

So what is it that people are looking for? I was looking for a good time, some people are looking for money and fame. Other people I think are falling to the age old sin of just wanting to do things there own way. You remember the classic Frank Sinatra song, “I did it my Way” They figure that if their not murderers or not Thieves, that their life will somehow even out in the end and even if it doesn’t, “God will forgive me”. He wouldn’t send someone to hell who was a decent person all their life, being nice to people, dedicated to their family. Why would God do that?

The problem with that is we are basing our measuring stick of a good person on people around us rather than on a Perfect God who is without Sin. We look around us and we see some of the horrible things out there that people do and it makes us feel pretty good to continue our life the same as we always have because we are not as bad the next guy.

God looks at man from his measuring stick of what Good is, His good is a Perfect Good. There is no sin in him, So standing up next to a murderer, we make look pretty good, but standing up next to God, Not so much. This is the whole reason why Jesus came to earth to die for us. Because he knew we would never be good enough to get into Heaven by ourselves. In order for us to get into Heaven, God has to see us as perfect. Because of our sinful nature, the only way this can be done is if God looks at us through the prism of Jesus Christ. Only when he looks at us through Jesus can we be made to look perfect and in turn gain entrance to Heaven.  Without Jesus, It is impossible.

So we go searching all of our lives after things that we think will make us happy. So What will make us happy? Only Jesus can fill that void in each and every one of our hearts. No Relationship, No amount of Money, No amount of Fame, No Career or anything else people strive for today could ever fill that void. He put that void in us from the moment we are born. Until we know him, we are blind to the fact of what will actually fill that void. But he put that void there to lead us to him.

This is why Psalm 139 is so awesome. Because it is a guide that is pointing out how much God really does care about you. “He knows when you sit and when you rise” Verse 4 goes on to say “Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD” /em>It is our creator who is the only thing that can fill that void. He designed it to be that way. Verse 13 says “For you created my inmost being: You knit me together in my Mother’s womb.”

Psalm 139:7, 8 say WWhere can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

Once we surrender to him, there is no way to ever leave his presence. That is why he is able to fill that void inside of you. It goes on to say…

Psalm 139:16 “Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

This is the same God who created the Earth, the Sun, the Moon and all of the stars in the sky. This is the same God who brought the Israelites out of Egypt. This is the same God who I count on for every decision in my life. This is the same God who is coming back very soon to take us to be with him.

If we jump back to verse 6 we read “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”/em> When you sit down and really think about it, It is overwhelming that the God of the Universe cares about each one of us. It is that “something” that all of us are searching for. It is, what fills that void. The challenge is, convincing people that what their searching for is false and pointing them to the truth.

For those of you who know him already, the next time something happens in your life that gets you upset, or your going through a trial that you just can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. Look to God’s word and meditate on just how unbelievably awesome he really is. It will help you get through whatever trial you’re facing. I encourage you to read the whole chapter of Psalms 139 when you get a chance to get the full effect of all of that God wanted to tell us in that chapter because he wanted us to know him.

For those that don’t know him, He wants to fill that void in your life.

If only we will let him…

What will it cost you? Everything! It will cost you every desire and every thought. Everything you do in your life has to be his will and not your own. But in return. You will have the God of the universe on your side. The God who made you, who loves you and who died for you.

Will you let him fill that void today?