At The Table

"It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the kingdom, to see God's children starving while actually seated at the Father's table." ~AW Tozer

  When I read this statement in Tozer's book, The Pursuit of God, it really struck a chord. When I picked up this book, this is exactly how I was feeling. I knew that I am a child of God, but at the same time I knew that my soul wasn't satisfied. There have been times in my life when I have felt overwhelmed with satisfaction in relationship with God and times when I have not. So when I read this quote, I thought that is me...and oh how badly I want to be satisfied again!  So I began ponder on how in the world I could sit at God's table and not be satisfied. Since I know that God never moved from the table, nor did he move the table with out me noticing :), I had to take a long hard look at what I had done to starve myself. Have you ever sat down for dinner with another person sharing a meal without saying a single word? This can be most uncomfortable. There are nights when Andrew and I sit down for dinner and we are so tired or hungry that communicating is not priority. However, I am a firm believer that great family communication starts around the dinner table. So when I realize that I am putting conversation with Andrew on the back burner, I have to intentionally engage him in conversation. Communication is key to having a healthy relationship. This was the first step in starving myself at God's table. I stopped communicating....I checked out. Life got in the way and I let it. Yes there were times when I prayed and talked to God...but not the soul satisfying, I need to hear from you type of communication. So how did I fix this...I pulled up my chair at the table and engaged the host. God and I have grown close over the years, so conversation with him was familiar, but I still needed that spark in my soul... that deep down, soul thrilling, delightful joy and peace grounded in faith kind of satisfaction. Your soul hungers and thirsts for it. I needed to be feed. I needed that which would quench my hunger and thirst...God's word. So picking up my Bible, I opened and said thrill me with your truth. The more I opened the Bible and read, the more my soul started to come alive again. Oh how I had missed that! My prayers were sincere...I wanted to be satisfied by my Lord. One more thing needed to happen...I needed to experience Him...see him working...Well I'm getting that too. For example, It has been my prayer for a while that Andrew and I would grow closer to Him as a couple. I have not told him that I was praying for this. And the other night as Andrew was praying over our dinner, he prayed for exactly that. A big smile came over my heart! God is working...and I'm experiencing it. Talk about sitting at the table satisfied! I know that several of God's children are essentially sitting at His table starving...Good, Christian, church-going people. Beth Moore's words come to mind, "That ain't no way to live!" I know that to be true! Don't just sit at the table...sit at the table and be truly satisfied!