When you go to a special event or someone’s home for dinner, it’s not unusual to for a plate of cookies to be present. Cookies are a crowd’s favorite. They may come in all sorts of shapes and sizes—some with frosting, sprinkles, or chocolate chips. Regardless of their flavor, they’re sure to disappear. They’re just so tasty!
Believe it or not, our Father God also has a plate of cookies for us. They’re not pre-packaged off a store shelf, but straight from a home oven. They’re not filled with artificial flavors or colors, but with organic God-ingredients and the sweetness of His love. These “cookies” are His blessings to us—provided by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. They are so much more valuable than the sweetness of a natural cookie; they are powerful and never run out.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ… (Ephesians 1:3)
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue… (2 Peter 1:2-3)
Specifically, these blessings are both spiritual and physical: forgiveness for our sins, healing and protection for our bodies, and peace for our souls. There is no bitterness in His cookies. While the devil comes only to “steal, kill, and destroy” with counterfeit delicacies, God’s blessings are only filled with pure goodness!
Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Psalm 103:1-5).
Like a host or waiter, God offers His blessings to us freely. They have already been paid for by the blood of Jesus; all we must do is reach out and take them from the plate (1 John 5:14-15, Mark 11:24). We do this by believing that they’re ours—by faith. We receive forgiveness for our sins by receiving Jesus as the Lord of our lives. We receive God’s healing power by accepting Him as our Healer. We receive peace for our minds by accepting Him as our Prince of Peace. The cookies are all there for us to enjoy!
Now, imagine this: Jesus is a waiter, going around a festive gathering, offering cookies on a plate to everyone in the room. Some people in the room gladly reach out and take the cookie with appreciation. Some people reject them altogether. But one person steps back and says, “No, no. Those can’t be for me. I’m not good enough. Besides, I don’t really think the host really wants me to have it.”
We would think this person was mentally troubled. Unfortunately, many Christians do the same with God’s blessings. They listen to the lies of the devil saying they’ve sinned too many times, or are not good enough to have them. They believe the traditions of men, rather than God’s Word, and determine it may not be God’s will for them to have them. Sadly, this keeps the cookies on God’s plate, available yet not eaten. This must grieve God’s heart considering He sent His only Son to pay the price so we could have a taste of heaven’s goodness—free of charge.
God, however, wants us to devour the plate of cookies, right down to the last crumb! It glorifies Him when His children experience His blessings for the world to see. It testifies of His perfect and good nature. It shows the world how much He loves them and how great a redemption He provided. All we need to do is by faith reach out and gladly receive those tasty blessings with confidence! We are, after all, not just visitors in His home—we are His children!
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (Romans 8:16-17).
Christa Madrid 