Fine Dining

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness”…

How long has it been since you’ve been really hungry to be holy? Thirsty for more of God?

My guess is that many of us don’t remember when we last were truly famished for God and His Kingdom and His righteousness. I think it has something to do with fast food vs. fine dining.

Fast food is available… well, fast. You hardly have time to work up a good appetite, just barely get the smell of burger and fries in your nostrils, when – poof! – there it is, all bagged and ready for your wolfing pleasure. Fine dining, in contrast, can be a little aggravating as the wait stretches out, but isn’t it worth it? When you finish that seven-course meal, you haven’t just stuffed an empty stomach, you have had an experience! You have tasted something new and intriguing and (hopefully) pleasing to the palate; you have been refreshed and relaxed by a lovely atmosphere. You haven’t just mumbled around a half-chewed hamburger bun; you have connected with your dining companions, have talked about things that matter, have shared your true feelings, and have listened, really listened, to those around you.

Why doesn’t that happen more often in the spiritual realm? Why do we so often feel like we’re hopping from one fast food chain to another, keeping body and soul together but never really experiencing this abundant feast God is supposed to offer?

Perhaps it’s because, as Pastor Ben said, as soon as we feel a slight pang of desire to experience God’s pleasure, to be like Him, to show our colors for the Kingdom, we do something. Something to make Him happy with us, to let Him know we’re about our Father’s business. In doing so, we choose doing over being. Fast food over fine dining. And we miss the smile that says, “You don’t have to prove anything. You bring Me pleasure just by loving Me and sharing your heart with Me.”

It’s not that doing isn’t important. It’s that the good feeling of having done something for God can take away the hunger pangs to be more like Him, get closer to Him, become holy and righteous and blameless and pure.

Maybe it would be helpful to set aside a day to just “be.” To intentionally not do anything for God or ask anything from Him; instead, to just spend time with Him, focus on Him, sit at His feet and, as we move through the duties of the day, listen to His heart. Maybe in that day we would grow hungry for a finer dining experience than we’ve been giving ourselves lately. And maybe we would again hear our Lord say,

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!... Listen, listen to me and eat what is good, and your soul will delight itself in the richest of fare” (Is. 55:1-2 NIV). “I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it… You would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you” (Ps. 81:10,16).

Maybe in that day, we would make reservations to come to those waters more often, just to share His pleasure in our company and dine on His finest.