I Want It ALL!

The boys and I went to a restaurant to get a take-out. It's a place where we go frequently, and I always get them the same thing, a kids chicken plate with 2 sides.

The lady who took our order & rang it up was new, or at least I hadn't seen her before. She asked me if I wanted jello or pudding with the kids meal? I didn't know they came with it...no one else has ever asked me that in all the time I've been going there. Then she asked me what type of drink I'd like? I said, is the drink included too? "Yes", she answered. WOW, I didn't know that either.

I was excited about finding out that a drink & dessert was included in the meal, until I realized that I've been getting ripped off all this time. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to that restaurant and no one bothered to let me know what was available to me.

As I was thinking about this on the drive home, I was reminded of a story a friend of mine told recently at a Women's Retreat where she was speaking. She explained how her Dad had saved all the Father's Day gifts he'd received over the years in the top drawer of his dresser. When she and her sister's were helping clean out the drawers, they stumbled upon the un-opened gifts. He was happy to receive the gifts, but for some reason, he just wanted to hide it away and remember it, but not enjoy or use the gift.


My friend was making the point that the gifts of the Spirit are the same way. They are available to every believer, but you first have to receive them, and then you are to use them! They aren't given to be hidden away.

Just like I needed to know what was included in the kids value meal so I could fully take advantage of it, so we need to know all of God's promises for us.

Psalm 103:2 says "bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits".

I want ALL that God has for me, every promise, every benefit, everything He purchased on the cross, as well as with the stripes on His back!

My prayer is that I will keep seeking, asking & knocking, no matter how close I get to God - it is the one time in life where you can be greedy for more.