Come, It’s Ready Now

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Come,  It’s Ready Now

I remember the call when I was young  —  “Supper time!     Come on in!”     It was a good time,  a welcomed time,  because we were hungry  and it was nice  to all be around the table.      But,  sometimes  someone wanted to play  just a little bit longer.      Or,  another was in the middle  of some activity  they wanted to finish.      Then,  there was the admonition  to hurry up.      Everybody else was waiting,  but a certain someone  had excuses.

The opportunity to have a sumptuous supper  is a real blessing  that we should not be dismissive of,  ignoring the love,  work,  and expense  that went into it.      But,  just as people can  deliberately disregard  a dinner invitation,  they can also  disregard God’s invitation.      Luke 14:15-24 clues us in  to our lame excuses  for disrespecting our Lord and Savior.      It says,

When one of those eating with Him  heard this,  he said to Jesus,  “Blessed is he  who will eat bread  in God’s kingdom!”

Jesus said to him,  “A man once gave a big dinner  and invited many.      When it was time for the dinner,  he sent his slave  to tell those who were invited,  ‘Come,  it’s ready now!’

Then  they all alike  began to excuse themselves.      ‘I bought a field,’  the first told him,  ‘and I’ve got to go out  and see it.      Please excuse me.’      Another said,  ‘I bought five teams of oxen  and I’m on my way  to try them out.      Please excuse me.’      And another said,  ‘I just got married  and that’s why  I can’t come.’

The slave went back  and reported this to his master.      Then the master of the house  got angry.      ‘Go out quickly  into the streets  and alleys  of the city,’   he told his slave,  ‘and bring in here the poor,  crippled,  blind,  and lame.’

And the slave said, ‘Master,  it’s done as you ordered  and there’s still room.’

Then the master told the slave,  ‘Go out to the roads  and stone fences,  and make them come in!      I want my house to be full.      I tell you,  none of those men  who were invited  will taste my dinner.’

So,  those who nonchalantly ignore God’s invitation  to enter heaven’s banquet,  will not receive  any of the blessings  of heaven.      After all their lame excuses,  they won’t get a another chance.      They had been deemed worthy  of an invitation  in the beginning.      But,  they were too snooty  to want to  “waste their time”  getting ready for  “that”  dinner.      The things of this world  seemed more important  than God.

Now,  the invitation is extended to us.      How do we feel  about God’s invitation  to spend time  in His word,  to accept full forgiveness  through faith  in Jesus alone,  to give God  of our time and talents?      While we’re still living  in this world,  God invites us  to spend time in prayer  and meditating on His word.      After all,  that’s the same as visiting  with God Almighty  and listening to Him.      And,  God invites us  to accept Jesus as our Savior,  so that even right now  we may enjoy the benefits  of forgiveness  and the peace  of abiding in God.

The joys of God’s banquet  start  “now“  and extend into eternity.      It doesn’t matter  that we are  “poor,  crippled,  blind,  and lame.”      It doesn’t matter  that we are vagrant wanderers  —  tramps.      God wants us  to freely enjoy  what He has in store for us  “now“.      Right “now“,  we can pick up God’s word  and start feasting  on all of His promises  and grace  in Jesus Christ.      It’s a forever feast.

It’s a high honor  to spend time  in God’s presence  with His word  and the grace  of His salvation.

Gladly accepting God’s invitation,  we say,  “Hallelujah!      Lord,  thank You for making us worthy  through Jesus Christ,  to receive the blessings  of Your eternal salvation.”

Love,
Margaret

 

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

 

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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