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Day Twenty-One

The Ultimate Invitation  (Read Proverbs 9:1-12)

"Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it well & serenely, & with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This day ... is too dear with its hopes & invitations to waste a moment on the rotten yesterdays." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

When was the last time you were left off the invitation list? Others were invited, but for whatever reason, you weren't. How did that make you feel? Everyone will experience this, from a child to a senior, and many of the invites you miss out on you'll never know existed.

The ego gets deflated when you are left off the list, and let's keep it real: it's a horrible feeling. You send a friend request on social media, and it's ignored, or you were included for a time but then unfriended; either way, you are no longer invited to their circles. Sometimes, it's a relief, but most of the time, it hurts.

The best news ever is that there is one invite you'll never be excluded from; it's the ultimate invitation. It's the invitation to live in the Kingdom of God on earth and in heaven. It's not a question if you have received the invitation; it's been delivered to you in countless ways throughout your life from various sources. What matters is whether you will accept the invitation or not!

Our Scripture this morning reiterates the fact that the invitation has been sent and highlights the promises you'll miss out on if you reject the invitation. Everyone is invited, so if you don't find yourself at the feast of the Most High, it's because you said "NO" or failed to respond to the invitation.

It's imperative to remember that when the name wisdom is referenced in Scripture, the author refers to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the Three-in-One are synonymous with wisdom.  

9 Wisdom has built her house;
    she has carved its seven columns.
2 She has prepared a great banquet,
    mixed the wines, and set the table.
3 She has sent her servants to invite everyone to come.
    She calls out from the heights overlooking the city.
4 "Come in with me," she urges the simple.
    To those who lack good judgment, she says,
5 "Come, eat my food,
    and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live;
    learn to use good judgment."

Regardless of your worldly achievements, or lack thereof, how is your life going? The most significant burden you'll ever experience is separation from the One who created you. You're like a fawn frantically looking for its mother or someone stuck in quicksand pleading for help. The pain and cries eluded to exist in your subconscious; no amount of worldly vices and pleasure will suffice to curve your pain and pleas of desperation.

You may claim to believe there is no God and no ultimate invitation, but be honest with yourself; your stern protest and rejection is a belief system in itself. How is your set of beliefs working out for you? Compare your life to the promises of Scripture, and reflect on what's missing! Everything!

Today is a new day. It's the first day of the rest of your existence on earth and, ultimately, in heaven. Regardless of your past, you're still invited. Irrespective of the hearts you have broken, the bridges you have burnt, and the countless times you have rejected the ultimate invitation to God's feast, you are still invited and have a seat at the table. How amazing is that? Our God is an awesome God! 

It's important to remember that the invitation doesn't require anything from you other than a response. The hope is that your response is "YES." If you accept, it will be the most incredible feast you ever attend, hosted by the Creator of the universe. I hope to see you at the feast, but more significantly, so does God.