Like many parents, I had a hard time getting my children to eat when they were younger, although the timeline of their pickiness was reversed.

My son refused to eat almost everything until he turned five; then, suddenly, he decided he wanted to eat EVERYTHING. (And, while I’m thankful, now that he’s nearing the teenage years, I’m starting to wonder if I’m going to be able to afford this little quirk of his!)

My daughter, on the other hand, would eat anything you put in front of her until she was around six. Then, for some reason, she decided everything she had previously loved was “gross.” Raspberries were too soft, macaroni and cheese was too cheesy, peanut butter sandwiches were too sticky.

My husband and I were flabbergasted. It wasn’t that my daughter wouldn’t eat anything, but the list of “acceptable” food items was rapidly shrinking.

Never was this more apparent than one Christmas a couple of years ago. I enjoy cooking and, though I would by no means call myself a gourmet, I will admit to making a mean Christmas spread. Ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, dinner rolls, stuffing, not to mention the assortment of appetizers and desserts. It’s this midwestern girl’s equivalent of a king’s banquet–all my favorite foods offered in one glorious, over-indulgent meal.

Still, I was not surprised when my daughter merely picked at everything on her plate, sampling all but consuming none. While the rest of my family and guests feasted, my never-satisfied little one turned her nose up at this lavish dinner and, after what she deemed as an acceptable length of time had passed, asked to be excused to her room to play with her new toys.

Now because–and ONLY because–it was Christmas, I decided that even though my daughter hadn’t finished (or even really started) her dinner, she would still be allowed to have dessert. This was usually a no-no in our home but, what can I say? I’m a sucker for the holidays.

I went upstairs, entered her room, and found the most bizarre of sights: my daughter, lying on her belly on her floor, reading a new book and munching on a package of graham crackers. Broken, crumbled, STALE graham crackers, I later found out, that she had stashed under her bed for months “just in case.”

My precious, beautiful, wonderful daughter had left the delicious, savory dinner I’d prepared for her in favor of a package of old, dried out crackers.

Parenting can be frustrating, you guys.

But as humorous and exasperating as the entire episode was, it also opened my eyes to a spiritual truth I’d sometimes rather not admit:

I sometimes leave the banquet God has prepared for me in favor of my own spiritual crumbs.

In one of the most famous Psalms of all times, David rejoices that “you [God] prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies.” (verse 5)

In this context, the table God is preparing is a victory celebration. He has just walked with David through “the valley of the shadow of death” and won. In “the presence of my enemies” means those enemies have been defeated; they are looking on as captives as the triumphant sit down to a banquet worthy of a King—a servant King who not only invites us to dine with Him but has also gone to the trouble of preparing this feast for us. Nothing should make us feel more humble than the imagery of the God of the universe making ready and then dishing out a majestic and regal dinner for His created.

The symbol of food is a common one throughout the Scriptures. And while God may not literally be filling our plates with tacos (in my imagination, Mexican food is the #1 thing I’d want at a royal feast because, well, it’s Mexican food; tell me I’m not alone in this!) but He is constantly offering up a feast of spiritual nourishment in the form of His promises.

We have the promise of God’s goodness (Psalm 119:68). We have the promise of His faithfulness (Hebrews 10:23), His kindness (Isaiah 54:10), His love (Romans 8:38-39), His power (2 Timothy 1:7), His joy (Psalm 16:11), His hope (Romans 15:13), His strength (Isaiah 41:10), His wisdom (James 1:5) and thousands of other promises littered through His Word that would take too long to write here. In fact, one scholar, Herbert Locklear, calculated that there were 7, 147 promises from God found in the Bible.

We truly, as David wrote earlier in the Psalm, “have everything [we] need” (verse 1).

And yet how often do we walk away from this spiritual feast to find nourishment in other places? How often do I look to my own goodness–or power or strength or wisdom–rather than God’s? How often do I look for hope in money, status, or government institutions? Have you ever looked for joy in the bottom of a bottle or fulfillment in that little online shopping cart?

The truth is that all of those earthly things may buoy us for a little while. In other words, just like those stale graham crackers my daughter chose over Christmas dinner, they may ease our hunger pains for a time. But we are missing out on true, lasting nourishment every time we leave God’s banquet to dig in the dumpster.

Our tendency as broken, sinful people is to run out into the world looking for things we already have in Jesus. There is nothing–absolutely nothing–that will satisfy those deep places in our souls like Him. He has given us everything we need in the form of His presence with us daily; all we have to do is accept it.

You see, when David proclaimed “The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything that I need,” he wasn’t doing it because His life was perfect. He was making a declaration of a choice to be satisfied with the things God already laid out in front of him.

The same things God offers to each and every one of us. His peace. His joy. His strength. His wisdom. His power.

His presence.

Friends, don’t leave God’s table to go eat stale graham crackers in the corner. Sit in the goodness of His presence and be filled.