Monday, September 25, 2017

Life as a Banquet

UV 2783/10000 Life as a Banquet
He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
Song of Solomon 2 v 4
The house of the Lord is a banqueting house- a house of rejoicing. Therefore, like people partake of food and drink several times with a sense of pleasure, we ought to rejoice again and again, every day of our lives. Our relationship or fellowship with the Lord is like a continual banquet. This is the reason Jesus said, “ Behold, I knock at the door (of your life/heart), if you open the door, I will come and sup with you and you will sup with Me.” The implication is that our fellowship and communication of praise and thanksgiving is like a banquet for the Lord and His love and care of us is like a banquet for us. A banquet has many dishes served as part of the menu. Likewise, the promises and commands of the Lord are the variety of dishes that we can feed on and while relishing it, we will be greatly strengthened. As in any banquet, there is music and dance, the Lord dances over us, rejoicing that we are His precious possession. He rejoices over every saved sinner as the father who saw his prodigal son returning. Like the repentant prodigal son, we are not relegated to the position we deserve as servants. We are not even just invited guests but c0-owners with the Lord of His house. We are the reason for the banquet. The Lord is celebrating our homecoming. It is the wedding feast of the Lord and His beloved.
The arch of the love of God stretches over our entire lives. We are surrounded by His love. His banner is one of protection, one of affirmation, one of intimacy, one of mercy, grace and generosity. We might have a variety of experiences during our lives but the overarching theme of our relationship with our Redeemer is one of love: the kind of love that is compassionate, understanding, patient, humble, not holding a record of wrongs but blotting out our past errors and blunders. It is on account of His love that He brings us to His house of banqueting and rejoicing- the house of salvation where we can dwell forever, gazing at His eternal beauty and worshipping Him in the beauty of holiness. We do not get to go to His house on our own accord. But He chooses, He invites, He takes us into His house.
God is hidden from the eyes of the world. But, the Lord does not hide Himself from us but He sees the love we have in our hearts for Him and He manifests Himself. He revealed all the infinite dimensions of His love for us in depth, width, height and intensity in His Son Jesus. He does not distance Himself from us but draws us close to Him. We rejoice in His presence much more than we rejoice in the blessings that He imparts to us. Our thoughts hang on every word He speaks to us. He delights in our ceaseless prayer, praise, worship and thanksgiving.
Prateep V Philip

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