Imagine this…you and a large group of friends have been invited to an expensive, fancy banquet–for free! As you step into the lavish banquet hall, you immediately realize that this is no sham. This is the real deal–lavish and elegant, and the food consists not of fancy tid-bits but true, delicious, substantial dishes.
Excited, you sit down, thanking your host for preparing this amazing banquet, inviting you to this dinner, and paying for it all. The host smiles. “Please, eat up!” he announces. Eagerly, you begin digging in. It is truly the best food you have ever tasted, and it keeps coming, course after course. Then, the host announces that this banquet is more special than you ever imagined–you will never get overly full from it.
When you look over at your friends, though, you see that they are not eating. Although they are in the banquet hall, they are not even gazing at the wonders around them. They are gazing out the window, distracted, not paying any attention to the meal that is set before them. Perhaps they have taken a few small bites but are not enjoying the food or the lavish surroundings. That’s crazy! you might think. They’re missing out on so much–looking at the street outside, and not noticing or acknowledging the feast. How rude to our host.
This is a simple, silly, and insufficient story, but the truth behind it is very real. It illustrates the problem that many believers have today. Ephesians 1:3 reads, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” (emphasis mine). God has blessed us with every single spiritual blessing there is! He has given us His Word, His Spirit, Himself in all His fullness, His presence, “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3). As Romans 8:32 says, if He did not spare His own Son, how would He not give us all things? In Christ there is all sufficiency and all fullness. We can continually seek and search after the Godhead and never attain to all His depths. He will never run out or run dry. There are endless, eternal riches in Him.
But although we have such a feast before us, so lavishly paid for by the blood of the Lamb, are we really taking advantage of its multitudes of blessing? Are we drinking of the unending depths of the ocean of God’s love? Are we drinking freely of the bottomless Water of Life? Are we feasting continually on the precious Bread of Life? Are we using all the benefits and enjoying all the blessings of Christ Jesus, given to us so freely and so graciously?
Unfortunately, I think most of us would honestly say no. Perhaps we find time to squeeze in a little bit of Bible reading or studying here and there, but it is not vital to our lives–we are just too busy. Maybe we pray occasionally or when life circumstances seem to demand it but it is not the abundant prayer and communion with our Lord that He desires. He has bought and prepared the feast for us but now He watches it go to waste as we stare at the things of the world and ignore His gentle and loving invitation to come and partake.
Friend, you may have life eternal, but on this earth, what fullness of life awaits you if you turn from distractions and turn to the Lord! Don’t just “make time” for Him; make HIM your everything–your all-in-all. In the everyday, in the regular patterns of life, seek Him. Place Him at the center and forefront of your life. Chase after Him. Pursue Him. Say to Him “One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4) Do not ungratefully spurn the amazing gifts and spiritual blessings He has not hesitated to pour out on you. Say to Him “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.'” Accept His invitation and do not wait for Heaven to begin constant fellowship and communication with Him. Start now!
Seeking the Lord does not mean secluding oneself in a monastery. It means that the Lord is the center of your life, and everything you do and say is for His glory. It means so much more than checking “Bible reading” off your list for the day. It means that Scripture and prayer infuse who you are–the very fabric of your daily life, whatever you may be doing. It means that He is your deepest desire and your everything.
Don’t miss out on the abundant spiritual blessings the Lord has given you!
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