But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced (Psalm 62: 11).

Spring is just around the corner.  If you’re like me, you enjoy opening your eyes to see a little more sunlight coming through the windows.  The birds are singing. Flowers are blooming. 

However, facing an otherwise wonderful morning, you remember that…

…you didn’t make the varsity sports team. 

…you didn’t get that promotion at work. 

…your uplifting post on Facebook didn’t go viral. 

And you say to yourself, “This stinks.”  

In Psalm 63, we find David in the desert, fleeing his enemies.  He’s hungry and thirsty. He’s battered by the elements. And the liars are telling him, “You’re no king!”.

No one would blame David for waking up, looking out at the desert and screaming, “This stinks.”

But he doesn’t feed on the lies. David offers prayers and praise to God. He declares his thirst for God. In these awful circumstances, he knows that God is working in him and through him. David wants God’s presence.

So, you didn’t make the varsity sports team?  The liar’s bread is thinking you aren’t good enough. But when the goal of your competition is to represent Christ well, you honor him and the gifts he has entrusted to you. God is satisfying that hunger inside you every time you step onto that court, field, or track.

So, you didn’t get that promotion at work? The liar’s bread is believing work needs to be even more important, your true number one. But when every meeting, contract, or sales call is an opportunity to exercise love, humility, justice, and grace, you honor God. God is satisfying that hunger for success as you meet with people, finish a task, or close a deal his way.

So, that uplifting post didn’t go viral?  The liar’s bread is pushing boundaries to demand more attention. But God has blessed you with the gift of kind words and empathy.  Only a few people saw that post, but it helped someone look up, feel better, or smile.  God is satisfying that hunger in you every time you choose to post to love and uplift, and not for attention.

Success in sports, work, and being liked are all good things.  However, when we feed on the lie that these are the most important things, we’ll find ourselves disappointed. We move through life muttering “this stinks” more and more often.  But when we settle in a place of confidence and rest in God's love and faithfulness we are satisfied, even as we face these disappointments.  

When I am in a desert and the liars offer their bread, I look to God.  Like David, I offer that hunger to God and look for him to fill me with his presence.

I know that when I am properly nourished by God, I am capable of amazing things!

We’re all hungry for God, but are we truly aware of how God is choosing to satisfy our hunger?  Think of an area in your life where you feel some satisfaction and reflect on how God is at work there. Ask God to nourish you in ways of his choosing.