God of grace and glory, may our lives today be glory unto You. Bless this dear reader in all they may face. In Christ Jesus' name, amen.
If ever you wonder where you stand with God, remember you are invited into a loving relationship with God. God loves you so much He wants you! Jesus told it this way: (Luke 14)
(Someone said to Jesus) ""Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" 16 Then Jesus said to him, "Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. 17 At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, "Come; for everything is ready now.' 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, "I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.' 19 Another said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.' 20 Another said, "I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.' 21 So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, "Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.' 22 And the slave said, "Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.' 23 Then the master said to the slave, "Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.' "
God's invitation involves dinner. It involves the eating and drinking of those things that truly and eternally satisfy. The Gospels tell the story of great banquets and the coming Feast where Jesus will be seated with us and all of us will dine in splendor and love. The invitation is right now. You and I are invited right now to become a part of this great feast. You and I have probably invited others. And sadly, they've either said, "Yes, I'll be there," and we've yet to see them. Others have said, "I'm not ready for that right now," and we've yet to see them. Others have come once and never again. The story Jesus told is our story. You and I have had great excuses for not wanting a part of God. In Jesus' story, one says he's now a landowner, bought a property sight unseen and must go and check it out. Another now owns livestock or new livestock, and must go and test their strength and ability to work. One said they had just married, no other explanation given or needed. The one doing the inviting returns to the master and the master is angered. Now the invitation is to all; "the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame." These came. They had never been invited before. Now the servant returns to tell the master, "There's still room!" Go and invite, "compel" if necessary all to come, so that my house may be filled!"
Where you choose to put yourself in this story is up to you. What you choose to do with your invitation is also up to you. Let me give you a clue. You never know how delicious a dinner or feast is going to be unless you show up. We can stand at the window all day staring into a dinner or feast and not know how delicious the meal truly is. Someone coming out cannot describe it well enough to match the experience of food touching your lips and mouth. So it is with God. Experience God and as the Psalmist said, "Taste and see that the Lord is good!" (Psa. 34:8).
PRAYER: God when I doubt about my standing with You, remind me that I am one of the ones invited. More than that, dear God, let me be one of those who responds and shows up early to enjoy not only the meal but the fellowship. Let me also be one who invites others with joy and understanding and with the conviction that they will respond and they will be blessed as I have been. In Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
