I think many Christians approach Christianity like walking into a restaurant. The water (forgiveness) is provided free of charge. May I have your order sir? Ah, yes, I would like the healing and prosperity plate please. Could I have a healthy marriage and also a side order of the miraculous. Then I would like to end with a nice job and a positive influence of others.
Christianity is not a restaurant where you are waited on, to use the restaurant analogy, it is a buffet where you have to help yourself. We have a well know smorgasbord restaurant here locally that carries 46 salad bar items, 8 meats, 14 vegetables, 3 soups, 8 homemade breads & rolls, a number of cheeses, a few hot desserts, 10 cold desserts, numerous cakes and pies, sundae bar & many beverages. But do you know what, you can enter that restaurant, pay the full fare for everything and walk out hungry. Why, because the wonderful cooks put out this amazing spread and make it available for you, but, you have to go and get it! They won’t bring it to you, no matter how long you wait.
Jesus died on the Cross providing forgiveness to all who receive it and made available to us all the other things of the Kingdom, but we have to pursue them. Paul writes in Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Come boldly! What is it you need? Come boldly to the throne of Jesus and get it, but it is up to you to come and get it. You cannot say, how come I don’t have as close a relationship with Jesus like John does? Because you haven’t cultivated one. But why is Ann being blessed with a business? Because she took a risk, talked to some others to gain wisdom, learned how to do something, and did it. It didn’t come to her, she went after it.
There is a Kingdom Smorgasbord available to you today. Don’t just sit and wait, expecting it to come to you, go and get it. Jesus put out the spread, it is up to you to take advantage of it. By all means, don’t sit there hungry!
D.O.V.E.