Who can measure the capacity of our wishes? The desires of our heart can be as insatiable as the heavens – who could fill them? Physical needs for food, comfort, and safety are certainly common to all of us. But our desires go far beyond comfort. We often confuse our heart’s desires with wealth or earthly privilege, thinking that those things can give us the quiet satisfaction or rapturous delight that we really seek.
“I will be their God.”
The Old Testament priests used salt in every burnt offering that was made to the Lord. With its preserving and purifying properties, salt was the emblem of divine grace. Grace is the essence of the presence of God. Most things in the temple’s ordinances were carefully measured, but there was no limit on the amount of salt that could be used.
When our trials come, our vinegar and gall are given with such exact measure that we never receive a single drop too much. But the salt of grace has no limit. There is never a need for God to limit grace. It may be possible for a person to have too much comfort, money, or honor for their own good, but we can never have too much grace.
More wealth brings more care, but more grace brings more joy. Increased wisdom is increased sorrow but in grace…God’s presence, there is only fulness of joy. We are invited to come to the throne again and again for a large supply. It seasons our trials, preserves our hearts from corruption, and kills the sins that destroy us. We need a lot of grace!
Are you feeling that familiar yearning? Is your heart seeking something that you realize earth can’t give -- the joy that fills Heaven? God is the maker of Heaven and all that fills it. He's the one who gives what we truly desire – fully and completely.
Jesus didn’t add any qualifiers when He promised: “Ask what you will and it will be given to you.”
David didn’t brag that his cup was full, he rejoiced: “My cup runneth over.”
“I will be their God”
In the original Hebrew the, word used here for God is Eloheem – the plural form. It was meant to signify “I will be all your gods – I will be everything you need – I will be your all-in-all.”
This is the masterpiece of all promises!