Do you need a breakthrough?

"Would it not be an encouragement to a subject, to hear his prince say to him, You will honour and please me very much, if you will go to yonder mine of gold, and dig as much gold for yourself as you can carry away?  So, for God to say, Go to the ordinances, get as much grace as you can, dig out as much salvation as you can; and the more happiness you have, the more I shall count myself glorified."

Thomas Watson, A Body of  Divinity, page 14

As I flew over the Pacific towards the coast of Brisbane, this statement was so good I had to linger for a while.  Ever had one of those moments when a text arrested your interest and chained you to the spot?  A smile spreads across the face and the heart swells up joyfully as if to shout, "This is true!  Amazing and true!"  We serve the King of kings, whose royal stores are graciously offered to all who will approach in humble faith.

In the fantasy film "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen," the Baron makes a wager with the Sultan.  The Baron proposes that he fetch a bottle of sparkling wine from over 1,000 miles away within an hour or the Sultan can cut off his head.  The Sultan accepts the wager, saying that if the Baron was able to perform this feat he would allow him to carry from his treasury as much riches as the "strongest man can carry."  The Baron was able to fulfill his end of the wager and the strongest of his companions was able to carry off all the Sultans treasure, enraging him and starting a war.

The fantastic tale ranges from ridiculous to absurd, but the point is this:  every earthy king has a limit to his riches.  There is only so much gold to be mined from the hills, and only so many precious stones lying hidden in the earth.  No man can place an "infinity" sign next to his checkbook balance.  But Christian, do you realize what God has offered you according to His infinite greatness and wealth?  Jesus says in Luke 12:32:  "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."  For those who overcome through Christ we will sit with Christ in His throne, as He has overcome and sits in His Father's throne (Rev. 3:21).  Oh, the inestimable riches of the grace of God!

What riches of grace and mercy lie undisturbed by God's people!  Because of this, we rob God of glory.  We are content to only receive from God what we can easily carry between finger and thumb, rather than loading ourselves to the full of His bounty!  We do not want to be burdened on earth by the gravity of sin, forgetting that the riches of heaven draw us toward Him.  Heavenly riches make a man's footsteps light upon this earth.  It is only a man has tasted and seen that he can adequately describe of the heavenly to the trudging hell-bound masses.  It is not that God wants us to be self-centered and full, but that we would be filled with His glory so we might be emptied!

Exodus 19:21 says, "And the Lord said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish."  We live in a day when we must warn the people to gaze upon the LORD because many are perishing!  In too many churches today the message is only about what God wants to do for you and how He has a plan for your life.  We worship the plan rather than the Planner!  God has already done!  Jesus said, "IT IS FINISHED!"  But too many of us have neglected to begin to enter in.  The stores of His grace, mercy, truth, love, wisdom, and knowledge lay untouched as we bumble around looking at ourselves in vanity.  Should we not turn our gaze to our God and worship Him for who He is?  God has given the Holy Spirit without measure yet we are happy to be happy.

"Go to the ordinances, get as much grace as you can, dig out as much salvation as you can; and the more happiness you have, the more I shall count myself glorified."  As a man matures from a boy to a man, His strength, vitality, and endurance increases.  Let us not be content with the spiritual riches we are able to glean today but press on to unexplored territory of the Kingdom of God.  Let us avail ourselves of the stores of our Savior's grace and abundant salvation.  May our hearts be elevated in worship, our minds focused in devotion, and our eyes fixed upon our Savior.

Everyone knows how Bill Gates, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jordan acquired their vast fortunes.  Newspaper and television reports how they have become wealthy through computers, music, and basketball.  We can take virtual tours of their homes and read of their exploits on the internet.  If only the Source of our vast spiritual fortune was known to the world:  not to the end that people would be envious or desire such fortune for themselves, but to the end they may adore and reverence the God who gives such gifts to men.  Worship the King who is glorified through the riches received by His children.  Let us break through and gaze upon our Savior, who is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise!

What needs to be "broken through" in your life that holds you back from freely gathering up the riches of the Kingdom?  Jesus has done the work:  let us enter in through Him!