I would assume we all know what a leech is, and what it is known for. It is a blood sucker – it takes and takes and takes, and it’s never enough or will EVER be enough. Its appetite is insatiable. I think we could learn a lot from these nasty little creatures. Either we learn from something good as a testament or we learn from something bad as a cautionary. Just like history – it’s all there to learn from. So don’t count out the life lesson from a leech. They even made it into the Bible….
Cautionary Creature
“There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. The leech has two daughters. ‘Give! Give!’ they cry. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that NEVER say, ‘Enough!’ The grave, the barren womb, land which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’” (Proverbs 30:12-16)
A fire is all consuming and burns till it can burn no more. The land consumes water and literally cannot sustain itself without it. Death greedily does not give up its dead. A barren womb is inconsolable. These four things represent never finding resolve or ending; there is no satisfying closure. I feel the all consuming hopelessness of this scripture. That ‘never enough’ feeling is relentless in its destructive plot against us.
Never Enough?
I think that most of us have experienced in one way or another the feeling of something or someone (or even our own selves) as NOT being enough and NOT ever bringing full satisfaction. I personally have felt like I am not enough for my own expectations of myself, or for other’s expectations of me. I look back and have all those thoughts of I wasn’t good enough; I didn’t do enough; I couldn’t be enough – never enough. I still struggle with this but I AM getting better. Why? I will tell you.
At the end of the day we CAN find internal satisfying rest from the great search for happiness in this life, even if happiness eludes us. Happiness is just a fleeting feeling derived from something on the outside. True satisfaction is something from the inside out. We CAN be satisfied even if all the odds are against us. And on the opposite side of the spectrum, we can have everything money can buy/ fame and fortune and the applause of men, and STILL feel like something is missing.
The Lesson Of A Donut Hole
All that really matters is WHO God says I am, and HE says I am enough. He also says that HE is enough FOR me. THIS is where I am finding my rest. Only God can satisfy the human heart. And really the reason is as simple as a donut. No, really – a donut.
When my kids were little they watched a show called “The Donut Man”. His message was simple, and packed in a BIG truth – much like the jelly hidden inside a jelly donut. He said our hearts are like a donut – there is an empty hole in the middle, that can only be filled by God. Left empty, we will never be whole, therefore never be satisfied. BAM! God the Creator. He created us to be able to HOLD Him IN our hearts. He left a space for Himself. We can search high and low, but NOTHING else is a perfect fit for that empty spot. (And I do mean NOTHING.) I remember my kids being like, “OHHHHHH I get it now!” And then wanting to go buy donuts.
The God Who Satisfies
So yes in life there are many MANY things that will NEVER fully satisfy or be enough, and even can suck all the life right out of you. People won’t satisfy. Careers won’t. Money won’t (even if you win the lottery.) Relationships won’t. Drugs won’t. Popular causes won’t. The crowd won’t. NOTHING will ever 100% satisfy you. That is just part of this journey. Life is not for the faint of heart and is NOT easy, nor was it meant to be easy. It is full of learning curves that ultimately helps to open our eyes and hearts to what is really truth. And the TRUTH is that we can not ever find what we are looking for – unless we first let God fill the hole in our hearts with Himself.
“There’s a God-shaped hole in all of us
And the restless soul is searching.
There’s a God-shaped hole in all of us
And it’s a void only He can fill.” (Plumb – “God Shaped Hole”)
One of God’s names is El Shaddai which means “All sufficient one”. This means everything you and I need is found in Him. Everything. Ah, sweet relief and satisfying rest and a perfect peace. He is all we need. Psalm 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall NOT want.” NOW I get it too!
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