Who are you to sit at the King’s table and eat? What gives you the right to be here?
Because you are a prince or princess of the King!
Have you ever had a meal with someone you didn’t know very well? I have. Sometimes it is painful, because we don’t know what to say or how to start a conversation. But I remind myself that if I stay long enough and make attempts at conversation – sometime soon it will not be so hard – the person will no longer be a stranger, but a friend.
Maybe that is what it will feel like to you as we sit at the table and FEAST. Take your time. You belong here with Christ and with your hungry travelers. May I suggest that this first day is spent reflecting on why we have a place at the table and who we are to the people seated around us.
John 1:12 I am a child of God.
John 15:15 I am Jesus’ chosen friend
Rom. 5:1 I am holy and acceptable to God
1 Cor. 3:16 I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him
1 Cor. 6:19,20 I have been bought with a price. I belong to God
1 Cor. 12:27 I am a part of Christ’s Body, part of His family
Eph. 1:1 I am a saint, a holy one
Eph. 1:5 I have been adopted as God’s child
Col. 1:14 I have been bought back and forgiven of all my sins
Col. 2:10 I am complete in Christ
Lord, I sit here reminding myself that I belong. That You desire my presence at Your table. I look forward to the time when I can sit in Your presence, completely silent (no words) and completely comfortable, because we are that close.
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The first thing that comes to my mind is “Fast Food.” Wow, this is not going to be a drive thru delivered in a matter of seconds?
An actual sit down meal? Awesome! With real dining wear? No plastic sporks and straws?
I long for the feast, but am very aware of how rushed and wrecked my life has become as I have become a slave to speed and convenience.
Thank you Lord for the invitation to your table, I am honored. Help the pace of my life to slow and fall into the rhythm of Grace.
What a lavish Lord we serve.
Now if only I can figure out which piece of silverware I am suppose to start with…
Yes–as much as I like a wonderful dinner with friends, my first thought is “fast food” – skimming by the beautifully set and laden table, admiring the place settings, snitching a bite from the delicacies, but too fidgety and in a hurry to stop, savor, talk, laugh, eat some more, enjoy the flavors on my palate, find a way to get close to the Guest of Honor. Nope–gotta run–lots of important things to do. Lord have mercy! Settling for over-processed, synthetic, food-like substances rather than the luscious, extravagant, uniquely prepared real thing? Refine my palate, Lord! And direct me to someone else who needs an invitation to the table.
I believe you start with the fork on the far left, Allan. 🙂 Personally, I’d like to start a meal with the tiny desert spoon at the top of the plate – You never know if you’ll get to full to eat desert.
It is funny – this afternoon as I walked my dog, a song kept playing in my mind, “He sets me at His banqueting table, His banner over me is love, He sets me at His banqueting table His banner over me is love. . . . .” Where that childhood song came from I don’t know, but it was funny as I then began to reflect on the FEAST.
I haven’t always felt like I belonged at His banqueting table. In the past I have unconsiously thought, “I’m not good enough to be in His presence – let alone sharing a meal with Him”.
When I have friends over to eat I always want the table to be extra special – I want to serve the best of the best and have everything just perfect. I wonder if God feels the same way when He desires to eat with us. Does He want everything to be extra special? Does He want to give us the best of the best? I think so. What a privilege to be invited to sit at His table.
Lord,
My brain seems to know this conceptually, but my heart often needs convincing. I come to the table tentatively, feeling as if I deserve only crumbs if anything at all. I know my conduct, my thoughts, my habits have been far from honorable. I am mystified that I have the audacity to come to the table at all. I trust that You are the one who has issued the gracious invitation. So here I am, awkward as it may seem. I’m hungry and hopeful. Amen.
Thinking back to times in my life when I longed to sit and feast at His table–like Mary. And now how much more I feel like Martha–running around, trying to make sure everyone is “taken care” of, missing the gracious blessings every day that Mary still sits and soaks in!!! My prayer: to welcome the grace that allows me be to be more like Mary again!!
I can attain all things through Christ. Phil 4:8. I am righteoustness. 2 Cor 5:21. I Thank Jesus for his wonderfull sacrifice.
Thanks Suzy. I’ve been running around too much of late. I just need to sit and stay.
I feel very welcome to be at the table. I only want to humble myself and thank the king for his gracious invitation.
upon thinking about the fast, i realized this period coincides with Lent. I had several close friends in grad school who observed it as a sort of spiritual reawakening–always choosing something of significance from which to abstain/fast. a
I agree with you suzy. It is a spiritual awakening.
I have never seemed to feast. Truly feast that is. my life consists of bingeing on what I can get, and then almost unconsciously purging myself of it. not willingly, but life certainly gets in the way. I often go days without truly filling myself with you. LORD, I ask you now, please allow me to slow down, to savor your sweet and filling word. to feast on your spirit. I humbly ask you to please fill my mind with your will.
I feel as though I could never dine with you my king. you are Regal and I am but a beggar. how could you ask us to freely be with you, eat with you, and live with you after the way I treat you, disown you and betray you. Father, King, Dad, fill me with your love, joy, spirit and truth. That I may spread your word and kingdom.
I am praying for everyone who is participate in this spiritual feast experience. I trust believe God wants to inspire us to another level in His will. Let us empty ourselves so He can fill us with His love. My prayer is “God do what you gotta do!”
Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. We are all full of his Glory.
Thank you for reminding me that I have an invitation to a dinner I mustn’t miss. Doing my calendar for the next 4 months. I don’t think I put this dinner/feast in there as a special time.
The 10 guarantee’s. I love them. Thank you.
Thank you for your invitation to the Feast. I feel like God have sent out this invite to me so many times and this is the first time that I am RSVPing and attending and not just preparing for it. I’m sure this feast has the bread of life that He speaks of in the latter part of John 6 and the water that quenches thirst in John 4:13-14… God, allow Your Holy Spirit to work inside me to I wont miss out on this feast and that I may invite others to it so they too can partake in it as well…
Lord,
I return to your table with boldness because of Your affection for me. May your bounty and beauty be the best of who I am. May I find my identity caught up in your riches not my own. I long to claim royalty with confidence, until then I cling to the cross desperately. I come to your table because I am hungry for You. Amen.
i am continually amazed at his love for me and am excited to participate in this feast during lent this year. a time when i will choose to fast from negative thoughts that separate me from Him and cause me to feel separated from Him.