Sheba’s queen was amazed at the sumptuousness of Solomon’s table. She lost all heart when she saw the provision of a single day; and she marvelled equally at the company of servants who were feasted at the royal board.

But what is this to the hospitalities of the God of grace? Ten thousand thousand of his people are daily fed; hungry and thirsty, they bring large appetites with them to the banquet, but not one of them returns unsatisfied; there is enough for each, enough for all, enough for evermore.

Though the host that feed at Jehovah’s table is countless as the stars of heaven, yet each one has his portion of meat. Think how much grace one saint requires, so much that nothing but the Infinite could supply him for one day; and yet the Lord spreads His table, not for one, but many saints, not for one day, but for many years; not for many years only, but for generation after generation.

Observe the full feasting spoken of in the text, the guests at mercy’s banquet are satisfied, nay, more “abundantly satisfied;” and that not with ordinary fare, but with fatness, the peculiar fatness of God’s own house; and such feasting is guaranteed by a faithful promise to all those children of men who put their trust under the shadow of Jehovah’s wings.

I once thought if I might but get the broken meat at God’s back door of grace I should be satisfied; like the woman who said, “The dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the master’s table;” but no child of God is ever served with scraps and leavings; like Mephibosheth, they all eat from the king’s own table.

In matters of grace, we all have Benjamin’s mess — we all have ten times more than we could have expected, and though our necessities are great, yet are we often amazed at the marvellous plenty of grace which God gives us experimentally to enjoy.

Ask the eagle that splashes in the glory of the sun if it ever longs for its cage away down among the dim, distant earth scenes.

If it ever stops to look at the old cage of former days, it is to sing its doxology of deliverance and soar away to its home near the sun.

The life of the Spirit-filled heart is the winged life.

The unsurrendered life is the life of the cage.

The best that the cage can give is a momentary thrill that soon gives place to a pitiful beating against the bars.

Our precious Savior, by His death on the Cross, proclaims “liberty to the captives” (Isaiah 61:1 KJV), and you may be set free; free, not to take refuge on the branches of a nearby tree but to rise and walk in heaven’s own light, above the world and sin, with heart made pure, and garments white, and Christ enthroned within!

“They feast on the abundance of your house.” The song in your heart will daily be: “Thou, O Christ, art all I want; More than all in Thee I find.”

Forget the past, throw off your last fear, and leap boldly forward to complete emancipation!

O Christ, in Thee my soul hath found, And found in Thee alone, The peace, the joy I sought so long; The bliss till now unknown.

I sighed for rest and happiness, I yearned for them, not Thee; But while I passed my Savior by, His love laid hold on me.

I tried the broken cisterns, Lord, But ah! the waters failed.

E’en as I stooped to drink they’d fled, And mocked me as I wailed.

Now none but Christ can satisfy, None other name for me; There’s love, and life, and lasting joy, Lord Jesus, found in Thee!

How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

For with thee is the fountain of life.

Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty.

Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

This spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive.

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.

The Spirit and the bride say, Come.

And let him that heareth say, Come.

And let him that is athirst come.

And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.—Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit.—Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

Ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory.

My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord : my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.

I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

My people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.

One thing have I desired of the Lord , that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord , and to enquire in his temple.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.—He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.—I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.