I have walked 700 miles in less than one year, which has brought me deep satisfaction - I’m proud to have made it this far by God’s grace. The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm” (Proverbs 19:23). Satisfaction in life comes from a relationship with God. He who is holy and righteous gives us inner satisfaction when we trust in and obey His holy word and live accordingly. Navy veteran Denis Waitley says, “Personal satisfaction is the most important ingredient of success.” What do people seek for in life? Do we not seek satisfaction in our achievements by reaching the goals we pursue? About satisfaction, motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said, “Being productive gives people a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment that loafing never can.” Thus, satisfaction comes from our work and service for the benefit of the country and others.
Every one of us can recount stories of finding satisfaction in our pasts. I would like to share two of my own. One such instance was on Sept. 19, 1969, when I was discharged from active duty in the Army. It was during the morning hours at Fort Lewis, Washington, when I walked with my discharge paper in hand. I had a deep sense of satisfaction, being proud of myself for finishing my duty of serving my country in uniform. I remember counting down the days every morning, starting at D-100, marking each day on my wall calendar and shouting, “Short!” Finally, the hour had arrived on Sept. 19. Over a half-century has passed since then, but it seems like yesterday that I walked as proudly as a newly crowned champion after a pivotal match. Yet it was not to be the last time I would experience such satisfaction through the Army. During my 17 years as a veteran, before I was commissioned as an Army Reserve chaplain in 1986, I received three higher educational degrees through the GI Bill. As I reflect on the Army’s influence throughout a half-century of my life, I am flooded with numerous satisfying memories. These experiences compel me to shape my life positively to serve others. I continue to serve our veterans as an American Legion post chaplain, as well as by being the national chaplain of the Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA).
A second time was on Dec. 8, 2000, when I received my Doctor of Ministry degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (now Gateway Seminary) in Mill Valley, Calif. I was chosen by the seminary president, Dr. Bill Crews, to deliver the graduation speech. The auditorium was packed with family members, friends and guests from local churches. All my family members flew in from Seattle, Washington to congratulate me on my graduation. I became the first in my family to earn a doctoral degree. My mother’s wish was that I would one day earn a doctoral degree. She was so happy and satisfied that her dream had finally come true. When my name was called out during the conferral of degrees, the auditorium shook for a minute, flooded by the shouts of over a hundred young members of my Berkeley congregation. The dean had to wait for the shouting voices to calm down before he could officiate the hooding ceremony.
In the Bible there is an account of Deacon Philip proclaiming Christ in the city of Samaria. He healed the sick miraculously and there was much joy in that city (Acts 8:4-8). Can you imagine what a day that must have been when many sick people were healed instantly? There must have been such joy, excitement, surprise and satisfaction among those who were healed. By God’s power, miracles are performed to bring us satisfaction. The greatest miracle is to raise a dead person to life. The Bible says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5). This is the gospel, the good news: that you can be saved by God’s grace if you repent of your sin and ask him to forgive your sin by faith, praying in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Why won’t you NOW pray for salvation for eternal life?
