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
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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