God calls us and welcomes us ALL - Denia Bradshaw
Among many things, God calls us: Courageous. Redeemed. Free. Beautiful. Victorious. Heir. Chosen. Forgiven. Gifted. Valuable. Having purpose. Strong. Important. Co-Heir with Christ. A masterpiece. Worthy. Made in God’s image. Seen. Predestined Adopted. Accepted. Saved by grace. Called. Not alone. Precious. Called by name.
Not some, but for ALL of God’s people.
And in God’s wide wide table, all are welcome.
Then he turned to the host. “The next time you put on a dinner, don’t just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You’ll be—and experience—a blessing. They won’t be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned—oh, how it will be returned!—at the resurrection of God’s people.”
Luke 14: 12-14 The Message
On Sunday, it was reiterated that the importance of a guest is indicated by how close they are seated in relation to the host. However, in the kingdom of God, God calls us to raise the “poor, disabled, lame, and blind” by inviting them to the “banquet” or “reception” (Luke 14:13 AMP). We are called to habitually humble ourselves and keep a realistic self-view and indicates that those whom exalt themselves before others will be humbled (paraphrased from Luke 14:11 AMP).
Jesus says:
“When you’re invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, ‘Friend, come up to the front.’ That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! What I’m saying is, if you walk around all high and mighty, you’re going to end up flat on your face. But if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.”
Luke 14:10-11 The Message
Where might you humble yourself before others in your life?
What about in the instance where you have a place of status, where and how might you give your place to someone else and/or uplift another to a place of honor?
As reminded on Sunday, we are all in Christ. We all belong. We all have gifts. We all have struggles. Because we are all humans, and humans matter.
Dear Abba, Sometimes the worries about my future provoke me to put myself above others. Similar to when Emma prayed for us asking for forgiveness for wanting to be included even when that meant excluding others, will you forgive us, guides us, and equip us in remembering your word so that we remember others with our words and actions? With you anything is possible, and we do not have to worry about not enough. You are the bread of life and you invite us ALL to your wide wide table, because we all belong, all are welcome, and all are so loved. May we love you and love one another by lifting each other up. God, a friend you put on my path once told me that queens uplift other queens, and I thank you for that friend Lord. Thank you that you work through us, through your word and with one another, like you did with that dear loved one. We thank you. We love you. Thank you for loving us so much. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.