Jesus, He is not a one hit wonder or a McDonald’s drive through, although I have had to learn these things the hard way.

Oftentimes I find myself “needing” something. Something I want right now, and if he could just fix it right now, then I would be happy. Oftentimes I find myself praying for something genuinely worth praying for in a moment of passionate emotion and then never praying for it again. And then I get up off my knees and think, well that didn’t work. And stubbornly crossing my arms, thinking and mumbling to myself “God doesn’t care, he never answers my prayers, even when I ask for something biblical, He is yet to answer”. Then I never pray for it again, I give God one lightning bolt shot to send down whatever it is I think that I need, and then am too lazy to ever ask for it again. It is almost as if I view him as a McDonald’s drive through, and I can just pull up and order some peace, fulfillment, purpose, love, and self-acceptance-immediately drive to the window and have it handed to me neatly packaged in some kind of to-go wrapper and go on about my day. Wouldn’t that be nice? But, well, I am thinking that is not quite the way it works.

I tell God how desperately I long to be filled up and joyful with Him and Him alone, needing and longing for nothing more, and then I just sit back and expect him to just hit me with his best shot and I will never long for anything else again! When reality is, he hears those prayers, but he tells me to seek Him with all my heart, and when I do I will find Him. To cast down all idols, to tear down the high places, to walk away from everything and walk straight towards Him, and I will find Him. Joy and fulfillment, a sense of self-worth, release from captivity, cannot be ordered in a drive-thru. These are gifts that God can and will give us, but we can’t be lazy. We can’t foolishly ask for them once and expect them to fall from the sky. We must persevere, and pray for what we long for daily, and do the work He asks of us. Salvation is free, thank you Lord for that, but giving up ourselves to fully live in Him, that will cost us our pride. We might have to give up our idols, tear down the high places, and put all that energy into knowing Him. The gifts he gives really are free, but often we must move ourselves aside, starve our flesh, and make room to accept them.

The blessings he gives are for all eternity, they are not one hit wonders that wham us on the head, end of story. The blessings He gives, are much greater than a cheeseburger from McDonald’s that satisfies for one meal, but then leaves us starving again for the next. The blessings he gives are eternal. “And now, it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, so that it will continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing, O Lord, it is an eternal blessing!” 1 Chronicles 17:27

Thank you Lord that you feed me real lasting food, not an unhealthy dose of grease from a drive through, even when that might be what I crave, you know what I need. Help me to patient, help me to persevere, help me to cast down the high places so that I may worship you and you alone. Help me not to view waiting as abandonment, because I know that you never abandon me, but sometimes I am not ready and sometimes eternal blessings take time-but they last forever. In Jesus Name I Pray. Amen.