My blog theme for the year is
“Intimacy Unto Harvest: Come unto Me, the Wedding feast is prepared…
Luke 14 tells of the parable of the Great feast:
When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kindom of God.” Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses…The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame’…”‘Sir’, the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” Luke 14: 16-17 & 21-24
The Lord is preparing a wedding feast and He is inviting all who are hungry…hungry for Him. The One who is the Bread of Life. He is calling all of us unto Himself. For it is only in that intimate, inner room that we are truly satisfied and can eat and drink of His love, hope, truth, glory, presence…
I ask myself, am I truly HUNGRY? I have a feeling that as I spend this next year with the poor, fatherless, crippled, widow, I am going to be awakened to my self-dependency (to which I am currently blind). Here in America, I can fill myself with so many things other than God. I trick myslef into thinking that I do not need to depend on Him for my daily needs. If I am hungry, I go to the fridge. If I am sick, I take some medicine. If I am cold, I turn up the furnace. The list could go on.
I know that I am growing in my relationship with God, but I still have a long way to go. I am beginning to realize that the ‘poor in spirit’ have something that I do not have: nothing. Nothing in terms of “stuff” – yet they are more full of life and true joy than many of us who condsider ourselves lucky because we are able to support ourselves financially/physically etc.
I am eager to see how “the theme” will develop into real, live stories throughout the year as the Lord draws more into His Kingdom! I am ready to experience God’s almighty power and glory flow throughout the nations. For it is only through His intimate touch that He calls His creation to Himself – and he is preparing the Wedding feast for each of us!
I want to leave you with an exert from
Always Enough, by Rolland and Heidi Baker:
God is saying, “Wake up, Church! Wake up, Church! The Church isn’t ready for the wedding feast. The poor need to be called.” The Lord is looking for servant-lovers who are passionate for Him, who are filled with love for Him, who are longing for the Bridegroom’s return, who can taste the feast and know it’s about to begin. They can’t stand anymore to stay in their comfort, to wait around for someone to be saved. They will literally run out and call in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. If we will go, they will come.
