As much of a social butterfly as I consider myself to be, one social situation sends my heart racing – and not from excitement. I turn into a bundle of nerves when I have to find a seat at a table, especially in a public place. What if there’s not a seat for me? What if I sit in someone else’s place? I’ve come to discover that those fears reflect some fears I didn’t realize I had about the Kingdom of God. I’ve learned though, sitting around tables across the world, that there is always room at His table. Hopefully you’ll find some encouragement in these stories shared around my table.
Taste and See
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Psalm 34:8
I once heard a story about a man who decided to take a cruise. He packed some cheese and crackers and boarded the boat, excited to take to the open sea. Every night as the other guests enjoyed the extravagant dinners the crew made for them, the man would sit in the corner and eat his cheese and crackers. When someone finally noticed him, he asked why he wouldn’t join them in the dining room. The man explained that he’d only enough to pay for the ticket and couldn’t afford the fancy meals they all enjoyed together. His fellow traveler laughed and said, “Your meals have been paid for as a part of your ticket!”
I wonder how many of us are sitting in the corner eating cheese and crackers without realizing the abundance that has been provided for us already. Jesus’s sacrifice paid our way to heaven, but do we realize the depth of what has been paid?
We have received an ultimate promise of eternity, but eternity begins now. We don’t have to wait to experience the eternal fountain of joy and life abundant – it is ours now. A banquet complete with joy, forgiveness, restoration and more is waiting for us at the table of God. A name placard reserves our spot, and too often we sit in the corner eating the cheese and crackers of worry, anxiety and fear. Take your place at the table of the Lord – taste and see that He is good! Invite others to do the same, because at the table of God, there is always room for one more chair.
Chelsey