Feasting

I'll be honest, one of my favorite things about going to grocery stores is getting the samples. People making food and then giving it to me for free? I'll jump on that train. Especially when it's sushi. Yum. But when you're really hungry, those samples are just never enough to fill you. I was talking to Jesus the other night about what it means to love him. And here is what he said to me, "Many people long to love me well but they cannot love me unless they first know my love. Few have truly tasted of my love. Many have sampled, few have feasted."

Many have sampled, few have feasted. Now imagine this. You go into the grocery store for your normal everyday shopping, and instead of just getting a sample like you always do, the cook invites you to come and sit down at the table. And they place before you this extravagant meal for you to feast on, all for free. That is the love of Jesus. The problem is that many people think that the only thing available to them is just a sample. Or maybe they know there is a feast, but they don't feel good enough to come to the table. They may not be hungry. Or maybe they are not willing to take time out of their daily lives to sit down and experience the depths of his love.

"We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19). If that is true, then we can only love him as much as we have experienced his love for us. If we do not receive the love of Jesus, we have absolutely no capacity to love God or love others. Feasting on the love of Jesus is the key to all doors in life. I am convinced that everything flows from his love. And it is only when you feast on his love for you that you can love him the way he longs to be loved, the way he deserves to be loved. 

Here is the good news: "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love [for love waved as a protecting and comforting banner over my head when I was near him]" (Song of Solomon 2:4). You are invited to the banqueting table; he longs to take you there! You can come as you are. So let go of all other things that you think can satisfy you and "eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food" (Isaiah 55:2).

So here is something to feast on...