Showcase and Shelves
A friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.
Luke 11:6
Many a Christian, many a church, has everything in the showcase and nothing on the shelves. The customers come in, but everything is in the window. We have nothing ins stock, no spiritual reserves, no Divine supplies, no bread from heaven.
“Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like a man that is an householder which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new an old” (Mt. 13:52). Change it to “storekeeper” and the lesson is the same. But what is we have no treasure, no goods on hand?
True, we are dispensers, not depositories, and we are to relay the bread from God to men, fresh bread, not stale. But there must be a deposit if we are to dispense. We should have a stock of Scripture, of experience, of grace, treasure in earthen vessels that we may have to give to him that needeth.
Pity the church with everything in the show window and showcase, where the hungry come and find but a shell, nothing in stock!