All you need is need. God fills empty mouths.

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. (Psalm 81:10-11)”

The God who saves us is also the God who feeds and satisfies us. Its all God from start to finish. A God who can only get your across the starting line but not across the finishing line is not a ‘Saviour’.

Imagine if a lifeguard sees someone in trouble and starting to sink. Perhaps he is caught in a current. So the lifeguard dutifully dives in and swims out to the drowning person. He manages to reach him just as the hapless landlubber starts to descend into Davey Jones’ locker. The lifeguard reaches down and hauls him up. Spluttering and blubbering the poor swimmer coughs out, ‘thank you, thank you.’

Then the lifeguard says, ‘No worries mate. Now, see the beach in the distance over there? Swim there. I’ll meet you there.’ Huh? It doesn’t matter what kind of speedo he is wearing he is a useless lifeguard. A lifeguard worthy of the name will not only haul you up but also help you all the way until you are safely on the beach.

God says to His people of the old covenant that He saved them from Egypt. He brought them up out of hopeless slavery to cruel taskmasters. He set them free. But after that, God didn’t point across the desert and say, ‘Right, I’ve done my bit, now it’s up to you, I’ll see you on the other side.’ No, instead, God ‘carried them on eagles wings’ and led them every step of the way. Even more.

He provided for them beyond all that they could ask or imagine. God says, ‘open wide your mouth and I will fill it’. I am not just your Saviour, I am your Provider. And how generous He is! God doesn’t say, ‘Here, have a nibble.’ God says, ‘open wide’. God doesn’t say ‘I’ll give you a bit.’ God says ‘I’ll fill it.’ God is stupendously generous.

But Ancient Israel would not listen. Like a toddler sitting at a dinner table and Daddy says, ‘open wide’ and the brat shuts her mouth, shakes her head and will not open her mouth. This is what God’s people do to Him. We all refuse to open our mouths. We will not listen. Why? Like spoilt children, we prefer the chocolates and lollies the world offers us. We think Our Father just wants to stuff us full of yucky peas. But to the spiritually mature, His delights are true delights.

What God offers satisfies the hungry soul. We feast on the abundance of His treasures. As Jesus said, if we open our hearts, He enters in, together with the Father and the Spirit and we all feast together.