A MEAL WITH THE LORD
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”
Revelation 3:20 (NLT)
I absolutely love meeting friends for lunch. I work from home, so it’s always a pleasure to get out and meet with other Christians for food and fellowship. Plus, I’m what you might call a people person. Not huge groups, but small, intimate groups or one-on-one. I like sharing my life, hearing about what’s happening in theirs, and offering one another encouragement. To me, that’s true friendship, and I’m blessed to have several.
I also love Revelation 3:20, which invites us to share a meal with Jesus Himself! It’s hard to imagine exactly what that would be like. I feel like I’d be speechless, but it might be like the meals I share with friends–because He IS my friend!
Revelation 3:14-21 begins with Jesus describing the church at Laodicea as lukewarm (neither hot nor cold), self-sufficient and spiritually complacent. The church seemed to grow away from needing God’s help, His wisdom, and spiritual discipline. They didn’t realize or couldn’t see that, though they thought they had their lives together. They were struggling, depressed, poor, blind to the Truth, and defenseless.
I see this as an invitation to fast, to sup with the Lord, and to turn my indifference into a passion for spending time with Him and meditating on His Word. It’s like pulling out a chair for the Lord at breakfast, lunch and dinner…maybe for one day, three days, or even seven days. We can start small and go from there.
Fasting with this attitude will draw us closer and renew our dependence on the Lord. It’s a time of putting ourselves aside to make room for more of Him. He is our sustenance, and fasting is a way to avoid complacency, strengthen our friendship with Jesus, and be aware of our constant dependence on Him.
APPLICATION: What if we set aside a time to fast in our calendars this week? If you’re not used to fasting (like me), perhaps begin with one meal or one day. Think of it as having a meal with your best friend and talking with Him about what life would be without Him and how you need Him.
PRAYER: Father, I am needy and want more of You. Thank You for knocking at the door and inviting me to have a meal with You. Help me never to take Your invitation for granted. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?