Have you ever received an invitation to a wedding?
Maybe a fancy dress party or just a simple dinner at a friend’s house?
I don’t know about you but I always get that warm feeling when I first see it. That feeling of being loved and wanted by a friend or family member, maybe even someone you haven’t spoken to for a long time.
A few months ago the Lord started sending me an invitation in the form of one simple word…
“Come,”
Honestly, I wasn’t really sure what that meant! I read the Bible, I have my time to be with God in the morning to pray, but I kept hearing this word, “Come.”
That’s when I started to understand, there is a difference between showing up somewhere and really being there.
When you receive that initial invitation, after the happy feeling you get, the event begins to draw closer and closer, then you start to think about all the practical stuff. What will I wear? Who will I go with? Will it be fun? Will I know anyone else there? What gift should I bring? What can I afford? Maybe if you don’t really want to go you’ll do the thing where you come with every reason possible why you don’t need to be there, knowing deep down that you’ll still go in the end…
There can be so many things to sort out before the event actually happens and you’re not even the one planning it! Interestingly, all that person really wants is to be with you, to share special moments with you and to be with you again.
That is the invitation sent out by God each and every day to us, sent to you and to me.
The idea of coming near to God can be scary when we don’t yet know what He’s really like. Contrary to what we may think, He sends out that invitation every day not because He wants to see the way you can dress up, or the best gift you can bring, no He’s looking for a heart that’s open to Him. When you are really there, you are willing to be vulnerable, willing to share what’s on your heart and mind, even at the risk of it sounding bad.
I love the way that God’s invitation here in Isaiah 55 is so opposite to the way we think we deserve to receive it. God says;
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.”
He says to come even if you have nothing to offer. To come and take whatever you need, whatever you want!
The words wine and milk express God’s love as extravagant, It doesn’t say, ‘just take a glass of water and leave’. No! He gives to us lavishly and freely, far more than what we could ever need.
His love is extra.
Verse 2 goes on to explain how we so often think that our time, effort and money is best spent on things that don’t really matter at all, when God is the only one who truly satisfies us. Our job will never give us the satisfaction that we find in God’s love. We don’t have to earn His love.
Today I encourage you to think about your relationship with God. Do you come to God and just show up or do you open up your heart?
There is a difference…
When you pray are you honest? Do you express to God what you are really thinking? Do you let Him respond?
There is nothing that can invalidate your invitation from God, there’s nothing you could do that would nullify or cancel out His love for you. He has chosen you, you can come into His presence freely today as a child of God, knowing that you are loved by Him!
If you don’t yet have a relationship with God but you want to, I invite you to pray this prayer below and open up your heart to receive Jesus in your heart because He loves you!
“Jesus, I recognise that I’ve lived my own way up until now. I’ve made so many mistakes but today I want to turn back to you and open my heart to you completely. I need you! Thank you for giving your life for me on a cross, today I ask for and receive your forgiveness. Thank you for loving me! I love you, and I accept you in my heart now as my Lord and Saviour. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
Beth Nundy