Devotional – January 5, 2021

There were tables upon tables of food before my very eyes; I remember the first time I visited an all you can eat buffet, I was amazed at the great variety of food that was on display, all for the taking in any quantity I desired. It was the most food I had seen at one time, except when I visit the market. Can you remember a time when you were in the presence of so much food that you were confused about what to eat?

Today’s topic is: “An Invitation to a Great Feast“. To ensure that we follow the flow, be reminded of the theme we are exploring this week: The Call of God, this is so we can stay focused on how the devotional content is progressing to share the message of how and when God calls. As the day of the Lord’s return approaches, it is important to be attentive to God and His will for your life.

In St. Matthew 22:2, Jesus spoke to His disciples in a parable. He told them of a King who prepared a wedding banquet for His son and invited some guests. We would be right to assume that at the banquet there would be a great quantity of deliciously prepared meals for the guests to partake. After all, Kings have great wealth and unlimited supply, so that means there would be more than enough.

The story Jesus told was about His own life and purpose; He was teaching Disciples the reason for His coming and at the same time showing them how great is God’s love for them. There are several messages and lessons to be learned from the story:

1. God is King; He has unlimited power and wealth -A King is Sovereign, He owns everything in His Kingdom so He can afford to host a banquet and invite many guests.
2. God is kind; though He is powerful and wealthy, He shares what He has with others – He prepares a banquet, and invites guests.
3. He takes interest in the welfare of His children – The banquet was prepared for His son.

The King of whom Jesus speaks is our Heavenly Father. We get a clearer understanding of Who He is and how He is- kind and loving. Aren’t you delighted that you belong to such an awesome God?

Today as we explore the topic: An Invitation to the Great Feast, we can be encouraged by the proof of the God’s benevolence. The message of The Gospel, is that God requires that we seek Him first, as we shared in yesterday’s devotional First Things First. He is prepared and willing to put you first too; making sure that you are cared for; this is evident in the banquet He prepared for His son (St. Matthew 22:2).

In reading the Gospels of St. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, there are many references to the Kingdom of God, and the King. Through parables , Jesus taught His Disciples what His Heavenly Father was like, and what He required of them. We can identify the abundance of God’s love in His gift of His Word, the Bible.

In Biblical days, there were many persons in Israel who were inspired by God to write about Him so that those who would read the writings later would have good information. The Bible is what we have today as a gift from God to learn about Him, and His plans and promises. When Matthew wrote about Jesus’s teachings he probably had no idea who would read them.

Today we can be spiritually nourished by the Word of God. In addition to acknowledging God’s expressed love in providing food, we can see the Bible as a Great Feast of Anointed Words; words that are true and can lead us on the right path.

Thy word is a light unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Psalm 119:105

Jesus through this Parable about the King who prepared a wedding banquet for His son, teaches us that God extends an invitation to us to sit at His table and partake of all that He provides. It is important for our hearts to be receptive, and accept the King’s invitation. May we never be too busy, or distracted so that we miss God’s invitation and call for us to be in His presence.

The portion of the Scripture we explored today is the better part of the story. As we read further we learn that Jesus went on to say:

He sent his servants to call those he had invited to the banquet, but they refused to come.

St. Matthew 22:3

The King’s invitation was actually refused by some of the guests He sent it to, and why: because they were busy.

But they paid no attention and went away, one to his field, another to his business.

St. Matthew 22:5

We are so blessed to be able to read this parable and know that God extends invitation to us as an expression of His love for us. While the guests in the parable were too busy to attend the King’s banquet, we who read these words today know better, and can be watchful for God’s invitations and respond appropriately. Despite being busy, it is important to put First Things First so that we can experience being Put First by the Creator. It is promised that when you: seek first the Kingdom of God, then:

…all other things will be added unto you.

St. Matthew 6:33

Each day we have the gift of life is An Invitation to a Great Feast; the banquet table is set; you can have whatever you desire as an invited guest; all that is required is that we attend. Let us take up our cross daily, as Jesus teaches, feed on the Word of God, and follow God’s leading. When we are led by God’s Spirit we are directed to our destiny. We will be inspired by God to live in a way that is pleasing to Him, and we will enjoy the blessings stored us for those who God deem to be in right standing with Him. Surely, we will have…all other things added.

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