The Power of a Simple Invitation - The Crosswalk Devotional - July 17
The Power of a Simple Invitation
By Rachael Adams
"Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world" (Matthew 25:34).
As a new mom, I was afraid to go anywhere during the first year of my son’s life. I was nervous Will would cry or get sick, so it seemed safer to just stay home. But, I knew being secluded for such a long time was not healthy, and after a year of isolation, I was longing for relationship.
Despite my fears, I decided to attend Toddler Tales at the local library. There, a woman greeted me and invited me to join her later that week at a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) gathering. I accepted her invitation and, while I was at the MOPS meeting, another woman invited me to attend a local church. I accepted her invitation as well, and while at church, another woman invited me to join her for a women's Bible study. This led to my family joining the church, my children being baptized, and me being asked to lead a Bible study. This, in turn, led to my love for writing devotions like the one you are reading right now. Amazingly, I am where I am today because of the power of a simple invitation.
Jesus knew the power of personal invitations too and often extended them. He invited people...
To rest: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
To see: “‘Come,’ he replied, ‘and you will see’" (John 1:39).
To drink: "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink" (John 7:37).
To dine: "Come and have breakfast" (John 21:12).
To take up the cross: "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24 ESV).
To renewal: "Come with me by yourself to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mark 6: 31).
To be blessed: "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world" (Matthew 25:34).
Did you notice the caveat in each of these invitations? Come. Jesus calls us to come. He made this point vividly clear in the parable of the wedding banquet. In Matthew 22, Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come" (22:1-10).
In this story, the king invited his guests by sending two invitations. The first asked the guests to attend the banquet; the second announced that it was ready. Each time they rejected his invitation by making excuses—they couldn’t attend because of work duties, family responsibilities, financial needs, etc. So the master told his servant to invite others and make them come in so his house would be full (Luke 14:15-24).”
I love his open invitation, don’t you? We too are invited into a relationship with God, but it is up to us to accept the invitation. Like those in the parable who turned down the invitation to the banquet, we often resist or delay responding to God’s invitation. Are you making excuses to avoid responding to God’s call? Friend, Jesus invites you to be with him forever in eternity. How will you RSVP? Who will be your plus one?
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Knowing how God can use a little invitation to make a significant impact, think about to whom you can extend an invitation. Who knows where it may lead?
Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for the opportunity to fellowship and commune with you. May I extend the same invitation to people in my life and trust you with the outcome. Draw us all closer to you. Come. Lord Jesus, Come. Amen (Revelation 22:20).
Further Reading:
Matthew 22
Luke 14
Revelation 22
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/FatCamera
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