It was my birthday, and I decided to take my family and a few friends to a buffet restaurant. Our plan was to eat as much as we possibly could. To make the most of it, we skipped breakfast and waited until lunchtime to arrive at the restaurant with empty stomachs.
Ironically, by the time we got there, most of us had lost our appetite. We couldn’t eat nearly as much as we had imagined. But one person in our group understood the assignment.
She kept going back for more, and every plate was piled high with food. We watched in amazement as she enjoyed every bite. Some of us were surprised by how much she could eat, but we were also secretly impressed. At least someone was making good use of the buffet and getting value for the money we had spent!
As I reflected on that experience, Isaiah 55:1–2 came to mind.
"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters... Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread?... Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food."
God is inviting us to an even greater buffet. This banquet costs us nothing because Jesus has already paid the price. The only thing God asks us to bring is our appetite. He even says, “Let your soul delight itself in abundance.” He wants us to enjoy the richness of His presence and receive all that He has prepared for us. But if God has given us such an open invitation, why aren’t we eating as much as we can? Why aren’t we receiving everything He desires to give us?
Here are two reasons that stood out to me.
1. We Come Already Full
Some people go to a buffet after they’ve already eaten breakfast or snacked throughout the morning. Although the food is plentiful, they simply don’t have room for much. Spiritually, many of us approach God the same way. We come with minds already filled with assumptions, doubts, disappointments, or preconceived ideas about what God can and cannot do.
Perhaps we believe God can forgive our sins but doubt He can heal our bodies. Maybe we trust Him for our daily bread but struggle to believe He can protect our families or open impossible doors. Without realizing it, we limit the God who has no limits. This reminds me of a verse from the beautiful hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus.
O what peace we often forfeit
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.
When Scripture tells us, “In everything by prayer and supplication… let your requests be made known unto God,” it truly means everything. As the hymn says, we bear needless pain because we are carrying it on our own. If we can trust God with our salvation, we should also trust Him with our future, our health, our finances, our family, our calling, and every burden we carry. After all, He is able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.”
Before we come into God’s presence, we should intentionally ask Him to empty us of everything that hinders us from receiving. Sometimes what fills us includes doubt, fear, distractions, bitterness, unforgiveness, worldly concerns, hidden sin, etc.
The book of Hebrews reminds us that without faith it is impossible to please God and that those who come to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who diligently seek Him. God loves to reward, loves to quiet you with His love, and rejoices over you with singing. God is a lover, and He wants you to come and enjoy that richness.
Personally, I often begin my prayer time by asking God to search my heart and remove anything that limits my capacity to receive from Him. I believe that is one of the healthiest ways to approach God’s presence: with empty hands and an open heart.
2. Our Appetite Is Too Small
Some people naturally have very small appetites. They may genuinely be hungry, but after only a few bites they are full. Spiritually, many believers are the same. We love God, but our capacity to receive from Him has become limited.
Sometimes this looks like complacency. Other times it is the result of repeated disappointments. Perhaps life has been so difficult that you’ve stopped dreaming. You’ve stopped expecting and stopped believing God for greater things.
As I typed this, I remembered praying for a few weeks about something, and God didn’t grant my request, so I naturally drifted away from the prayer and just went about my normal life. Then one day I heard the Holy Spirit say, “You give up too easily.” I strongly believed He was referring to that request.
So perhaps this is our issue: giving up too easily, whereas God is using the request to refine us, draw us closer, and produce patience in us so we can better steward the answer.
Isaiah 61 paints a beautiful picture of God’s expectations for the delivered. It says they will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations. God delivers us so we can impact a whole city, a whole generation, not just better our family or our children. He restores us so that we may display His glory and proclaim His praise. Your life is bigger than your current circumstances.
God wants to enlarge your vision, deepen your faith, increase your capacity, and expand your appetite for His presence and His purposes. But this doesn’t happen overnight.
Isaiah tells us:
"Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength."
As we spend time in prayer, immerse ourselves in His Word, and continually seek the Spirit of grace and supplication, our spiritual appetite grows. The more we feast on God’s presence, the greater our capacity becomes.
Stay at the Table
Jesus said,
“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit.” (John 15:8)
God is glorified when your life bears abundant fruit. He delights in your growth. He rejoices in your transformation. He desires your life to overflow with His goodness even more than you desire it yourself. But Jesus also gave us the secret in the same chapter: Remain in Me.Don’t rush away from His presence. Keep eating, receiving, and asking.
Be “greedy” for everything God wants to give you, not out of selfish ambition, but with the hunger of someone who knows there is always more of Him to experience. Don’t leave the table until your soul is full.
Prayer
Father, thank You for inviting me to Your table. Empty me of every doubt, fear, distraction, and limiting belief that keeps me from receiving all You have prepared for me. Increase my spiritual appetite and enlarge my capacity to know You more deeply. I receive the Spirit of grace and supplication. Teach me to wait on You, abide in Your presence, and delight in the abundance You freely provide. May my life bear much fruit and bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.