Expecting blessing

Lord, I crawled across the barrenness to You with my empty cup uncertain in asking any small drop of refreshment. If only I had known you better, I'd have come running with a bucket.  Nancy Spiegelberg

I saw this posted on Facebook recently and it reminded me how sad it is that we, as those who have put our trust in the glorious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ - we who have understood the enormous sacrifice that He made on our behalf, we who have come to Him and asked forgiveness and received His amazing grace - still do not quite believe that He wants to pour out His blessing upon us.

And perhaps even more sad is the fact that we who have been 'blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus' Eph. 1:3 would still find it so hard to actually lay hold of those blessings. Why is that I wonder? is it because like Nancy we just don't know Him well enough? Is it because we have shortchanged ourselves and believed the lie that tells us we are not worth it, that though we will go to heaven and be with Him there - here on earth at this moment we are on our own and must 'man up' and fend for ourselves? Is it because the enemy of our souls has sold us the greatest deception of all - that we must earn His blessing, that He will withhold it until we prove ourselves worthy? Have we unwittingly ,perhaps, taken on the worldview, the futile speculations and empty philosophies that are so much about 'me' and know nothing of Him?

That is why I read and study and teach the Bible - not because I think I must but because there inside its cover is a table overflowing with blessing - overflowing with who He is and what He has done, what He is doing and what He will do. There in its pages are the words of my Saviour, my Friend, my Refuge, my Strength - words of affirmation, words of love and hope and mercy and grace. Words that fill my mind and cause my heart to soar - words that lift me up on eagles wings and take me to Him ever nearer, ever closer - words that wrap themselves around my soul and give me peace.

This world with all of its stuff - all of its emptiness and desolation would have me think that I cannot come close to Him - that I must hang back in shame and wait for Him to notice me - but His Word reminds me that I am always on His mind - that there is nothing, absolutely nothing that can separate me from His love and that He is rejoicing with singing over me.

Do not starve yourself - do not become a victim of the enemy of your soul. Do not allow him to lead you into spiritual anorexia - pick up the Book - pick up the Word of God, who is Christ Jesus and make it yours, memorise and meditate and sing with shouts of praise. Recount His promises aloud   'forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, press on towards the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus'. Phil. 3:14

Press on dear friend hold out your bucket and see Him fill it to overflowing.