On hot summer days in the south, there was no way that my grandmother would allow us grandkids to stay inside. With visiting cousins from up north, sometimes there would be seven or eight of us around, doing what children do—driving grown folks crazy. We were banished to the yard, and we had better not be caught going in and out, letting mosquitoes in the house. When it was time to eat, food had already been prepared and my grandmother or aunt would call us to the table where our plates were very amply set. My southern cousins knew the deal. We knew to eat everything on our plates, but the up-north cousins were a little slow on the take. They sometimes picked over their food—ate the meat but not the bread, left the veggies, or only ate the dessert. When they whined to my grandmother later, she’d say, “Why didn’t you open your mouth and ask for what you wanted when you were at the table…closed mouths don’t get fed!”
Unbeknown to us and perhaps to even my grandmother, she was teaching us an invaluable lesson about the relationship that exists between both order and provision. It wasn’t that we couldn’t have more, or that our preference for one food over another would not be acknowledged. What we needed to understand was that the time, place, and space for what we wanted could not be ignored. My grandmother and aunts loved us. They were happy to feed us, and feed us well. They served us by taking care of our needs, but made it very clear there were indeed parameters.
God makes it very clear in 1Corinthians 14:33, that He is a God of order. He’s not the author of confusion. In 2Corinthians 3:5, He tells us that He’s our Provider. He will take care of all our needs according to His riches in Glory. Everything that we need, our Heavenly Father has it; there can be no mistaking this. Of course, each of us have certain areas of our lives where we have needs. We’re asking Heavenly Father to meet them, and as I’ve stated many times before, the blessing we’re seeking is probably already in the earth. So, the distance between us and what we seek has to be bridged in order that our needs and desires are met.
We know from experiencing life that everyone doesn’t have their needs met. Everyone doesn’t receive the thing they desire most, but this doesn’t negate the truth that God will supply our needs if we trust Him. In 2Corinthians 5:7, we learn that God’s order dictates that we walk by faith and not by sight. He meets our need according to our faith in His willingness and ability. Another important truth that we learn from God’s Word is that a hard heart will impede our faith from producing the results we desire. A hard heart will demolish the bridge between you and what you want most.
In Romans 2, the Apostle Paul warned the church to not be so quick to condemn others who were violating God’s law, when they were sinning as well and were not repenting for their sins. In Romans 2:5(NKJV), he said, “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” A hard heart is one that is closed, doesn’t let anything in and doesn’t allow anything out. There are more individuals with this kind of heart than there are with hearts that are open to God and His love through the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Matthew 6:19-20, Jesus Christ told us not to store up treasures on earth, where they can be corrupted. He instructed us to store them up in heaven, so that when we need them, we can draw them down. Everything that we need for an abundant journey on earth is in heaven. That’s our home, and it’s where our treasures should be stored. Ephesians 2:6 tells us that we’re seated in heavenly places through the Lord Jesus Christ! Right now, even though your physical body is operating on earth, your spirit is seated together with Christ. Access is granted there because of your faith in him. But when the condition of our hearts does not line up with the faith of Jesus Christ, we don’t have access to our treasures.
It’s important to understand that a person can sit at the table of God’s blessings, but a closed heart will not be fed. We must be receptive to God’s order, and His order of business is that we come to the table with hearts full of His grace. Jesus Christ said in Luke 12:37(NLT), “The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!” We may not know God’s perfect timing, we may not know when something we greatly desire will come to pass in our lives, but we have a responsibility to be ready to receive when the provision is made. We need a heart that is sensitive and open to God through the love of Jesus Christ always, so that we are prepared and ready to be fed when His feast is before us.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Closed Mouths Don’t Get Fed…What About Closed Hearts?” written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.