You're Invited
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. ~Revelation 22:17
Do you enjoy receiving invitations to special events? An invitation is an honored opportunity for us to share in a special occasion or announcement of another person. It is an indication that we have been privileged to participate in another person’s time of responsibility or rejoicing. This morning, we want to consider three special invitations that the Lord makes.
There is the invitation to exchange.
In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” In these verses, Jesus invites every person who is carrying burdens and cares to make an exchange. He instructs us to transfer our heavy burdens, heartaches, and cares to Him. In exchange, He gives us His yoke to carry. His yoke is not cumbersome and heavy. His yoke gives us rest for our souls. We so often carry our problems with us when the Lord invites us to rest our cares upon Him. Do you have some burdens that you need to exchange with the Lord?
There is the invitation to exercise.
In Matthew 14:28-29, we read, “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” Peter and the other disciples were in a boat that was in a storm. They saw Jesus walking on the water. This sight frightened all of them except for Peter. Peter asked the Lord if he could venture out and join Him on the water. Jesus responded to Peter’s request with one word: “Come.” Peter was invited to exercise faith. Peter was invited to engage with the Lord by coming out of the boat and walking to Him. Like Peter, the Lord invites us to see the impossible and exercise faith. When we read of this account, the Lord invites us to believe the incredible and exercise faith. It does not require faith to hold on to the boat. However, it does require faith to let go of our fears, our false assumptions, and our frustrations. Peter let go of the boat and walked to Jesus. He exercised faith!
There is the invitation to experience.
In Revelation 22:17, we see the final invitation in the Bible. It is an invitation to experience the satisfaction of knowing the Lord as Savior. It is an open invitation for every unsaved person to drink the water of life. This water speaks of the salvation freely offered by the Lord. Once a person accepts this invitation, he will never thirst spiritually again. We are invited to experience the goodness of the Lord’s mercies. We are invited to experience the Lord’s fellowship. We are invited to experience the Lord’s faithfulness in spite of our unworthiness.
Yes, you’re invited! You’re invited to let go of your burdens and experience His rest. You’re invited to exercise faith in His power and greatness. You’re invited to experience the Lord’s goodness. The decision is yours. Will you come?
Have a faith-filled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Ezekiel 1-4