Knowing the Satisfied God–Rabon Byrd

A few months back, one of my Facebook friends posted a quote that caught my attention.  The quote was from a book he had written, and he was meditating on it.  I asked for a copy of the book and a pdf version of Knowing the Satisfied God appeared in my email soon after.  The book’s author is Rabon Byrd.  Rabon hangs out with Covenant Ministries International, a ministry I have had connections with for years.  I haven’t met Rabon in the flesh but after reading this book I feel I have met him in the spirit.  There is rich spiritual food in Rabon’s book.  Through it, the Lord began dealing with some dissatisfaction in my heart, dissatisfaction for which there is little room in Christ.  If you deal with dissatisfaction, wavering, or insecurity in the Lord, I would highly recommend Knowing the Satisfied God.  If you don’t deal with any of these things (are you human?), I would still give Rabon’s book a read  🙂 Below is an excerpt from the preface.  I pray it will minister to you and draw you to read the rest!

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Satisfied is a comprehensive and weighty term. […] When searching the etymology of the word satisfied, it is very interesting that it evolved from the Latin contentus, which means contained. The Online Etymology Dictionary elaborates by stating that the word evolved from “contained,” or “restrained,” to “satisfied,” but continues to convey the thought that the contented person’s desires are bound by what he or she already has. This means that the satisfaction of the person is contained and bound within the content he already possesses. That person needs nothing more added to what is already possessed in order to be satisfied. That is exactly what I mean by The Satisfied God. God has in His possession the totality of His eternal delight contained within the person of His Son and there is nothing that needs to be or can be added. The grace of God now permits the soul of man to know and partake of that One in whom the entirety of the eternal satisfaction of God is contained.

Unfortunately, that understanding seems to be altogether absent in the Christian world. Therefore, when using the term satisfied with relation to God the Father, it is essential that we establish the single object of His satisfaction, so that we do not live with a false expectation with regard to our relationship and standing with God. Religion sets forth the false concept that God looks at man and his religious deeds in order to find His satisfaction. Such a self-centered view of salvation and God’s perspective keeps the soul in a continuous state of condemnation and dissatisfaction. […]

I will ask a question in this book that is very important to consider, for the answer will determine everything with regard to your walk in Christ. Where do you look to find the evidence of a perfect salvation? Most of us will explicitly deny that we look at ourselves to find perfection. However, that seems to be the objective of most religious activities. We implement accepted observances in order to remedy the imperfections and maladies we observe in ourselves. This is because there is still some residual hope that one day we will finally reach a condition where God will be able to observe us and give an assuring nod of pleasure in our direction. In this book, it is my desire to present to you the Man and Face unto which God the Father looks to find divine perfection; the One to whom He can and has eternally said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The Spirit of God desires to bring us face to face with the sole object of God’s eternal delight, so that we may experience satisfaction and rest for the soul as God has defined it from before the foundation of the world. The work of God is to reveal and establish His view, His understanding, and His satisfaction in the soul of all who are born of the Spirit of Christ, so that we may also be satisfied with what we already possess. It is my prayer that this book will be a tool used of the Father, to do that work within the heart of every reader.

Rabon Byrd September 2012

Rabon can be contacted at rabonbyrd@gmail.com.  Paperback copies of Knowing the Satisfied God are available on request.