Discovering the Fullness of God
I remember a day when I earnestly prayed, “Lord, fill up the empty spaces in my life!” Through life’s experiences, I have come to the realization that we all have those empty spaces. Perhaps the emptiness is revealed in relationships, through disappointment or grief. It may be found in tragedy, illness, loneliness or unfulfilled expectations. Whatever the cause, focusing on the emptiness prevents us from experiencing the peaceful, abundant life that God desires for his children.
All along the journey of life we travel on roads that are sometimes smooth and other times, bumpy. Often, just as we feel that our journey is going well, THUD! We hit a pothole. A pothole is described as a deep hole or pit that is formed due to fatigue of the pavement surface. The worn-down road forms cracks that grow and after a rain they become filled with water that soon causes the pavement to wash away, forming an empty space in the road. The definition of “empty” gives a clear description of a pothole: containing nothing; having nothing in it; having no worth or purpose; useless or unsatisfying.
In life’s journey there are times when we become fatigued and worn down and those empty spaces start to appear. Sometimes we dig our own potholes. At other times they come as an unexpected, unwelcome surprise. Just as those who try to fill up potholes in the roads time after time, we may attempt to fill the empty spaces in our lives with things the world offers. It is as though we fill them with water, not understanding that things we try to substitute — to fill the emptiness — will fail in time or will not satisfy at all. As we continue to try more and different ways to fill the empty spaces, the vast emptiness only grows greater. We patch them, but they come back. In time we may become so focused on the potholes that we lose sight of the beauty of the journey. The need to resurface — and maintain — becomes necessary in order to ensure that the road we travel will result in a safe and peaceful journey.
I have discovered the way to maintain a peaceful life journey is to keep my focus on God. Though I still may face obstacles or threats of danger, by shifting my focus from the empty spaces — the “potholes” of life — to God, I discover that those empty spaces are filled up with God’s fullness and I experience peace. This clear focus brings about joy, inner strength and confidence in God. No longer do I fear what may be ahead or just around the corner of life, for God is with me and He is sufficient and faithful to fill the empty spaces I may face.
God heard my prayer as I asked Him to fill the empty spaces in my life. His answer came clearly as He spoke to my heart and said, “Focus on me. Become acquainted with who I am. Know my heart and you will find that those empty spaces will become full.” Fullness is defined as: having in it all there is space for; rich or abounding; complete. Focusing on the fullness of God has transformed my life journey, causing those empty spaces to lose their power.
What are your empty spaces? Let God fill them up. As you learn more about Him and trust Him, you will find that He is enough. God may reveal some empty spaces in your life of which you were unaware. You may see, and more clearly understand, the empty spaces in the lives of others. Whatever the case, God alone is sufficient to permanently fill and restore all the empty spaces in your life journey. As you learn to become fully in focus of God you will experience the fullness of this promise found in Isaiah 26:3 (NLT):
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You – all whose thoughts are fixed (focused) on You.”
Carol,
Thank you for this memorable analogy about the “empty” places in our lives. This is a good word, worth remembering,
Katie
Love this! I have some empty places that I need God’s filling. ((hugs))
What a powerful message, Carol. Yes, God is the only ONE to fill out emptiness.