Thursday, November 20, 2008

And I saw an angel standing constantly in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice to all the brids that fly in midair, "Come, gather yourselves to The Great Feast Of God in order that you might eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of generals, mighty men, horses and those that sit on them, and the flesh of everyone, whether free or slave, small or great." Rev. 19:17, 18.

We notice a lot of feasting going on in this chapter of Revelation. First of all, the Lamb is planning to marry His bride and wants to celebrate with a major feast(Rev. 19:7-9). In this passage we find another feast-a gruesome one-parallel to the first. The two feasts represent two destines that follow from two possible decisions. People can choose either a relationship with Jesus or they can go their own way.

Great moments in relationship are often related to food. One of my favorite things in all the world it to have a date with my wife. Whatever else is involved, we like to eat at a restaurant. And two things are critical in the choice of restaurant: (1) the food must be tasty to us, and (2) it helps if it is a quiet and special place. Fast food is not always the best selection for a date.

Likewise, we build a relationship with Jesus by spending quality time in His Word. But people often give up daily reading of God's Word because they don't find it very "tasty." My dating experiences suggest some ways to enhance the devotional experience.

1. Make a Reservation-It requires no reservations to eat at McDonald's or Burger King. In fact, you don't even have to get out of your car! In many parts of the world, mealtime is more like a pit stop at Daytona than Thanksgiving dinner at grandma's house. Fast food won't do for a serious date. Just as you must make a reservation to eat at a fine restaurant, it helps to block out a daily time to feast at the table of the Lord(Ps. 23:5).

Now, just where are you going to find the time to make this reservation? How do I find time to date my wife? Making it a priority, we decide that the quality of our relationship requires the best of our time. If we say, "Let's see if we can fit it in," it won't happen. If necessary, we dicede a wwk ahead. And we make sure that our date is at a time when we are wide awake and at our best.

2. Choose a Table-Next we ask for the best seat in the restaurant. We aren't content with a seat by the swinging door the waiters use or an open table surrounded by others, because we don't want to be interrupted. And we especially like quiet booths by the window with the sun shining in. with all this preparation and anticipation, we can hardly wait to see the menu.

Lord, I remember many speical moments with You. I want to make a fresh start with You today.

The Jews held that God loved those who served Him,--according to their view, those who fulfilled the requirements of the rabbis,--and that all the rest of the world lay under His frown and curse. Not so, said Jesus; the whole world, the evil and the good, lies in the sunshine of His love. This truth you should have learned from nature itself; for God "maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust"(TFMB 74).