Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.
Psalm 119.97
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
Revelation 22.17
I guess we all love to receive invitations. As children, to a birthday party or a sleep-over. As adults to a Dinner Party or a Wedding and I wonder if somewhere you have an invitation which, although the event has passed, you still keep and cherish – an invitation perhaps to a Royal Garden Party or some other extra-special event.
You enjoyed the event, the memories are special but they are now in the past.
The invitation above from the closing chapter of the Bible is a glorious on-going invitation which can be drawn on every day and which also has a glorious completion when the Lord Jesus Christ comes again or takes us to himself through death.
It is an invitation to all without exception. There is no cost for all has been paid through the death of Jesus and it is both very simple and very profound.
The profound nature of the invitation is unfolded for us in the whole of the Bible for here in God’s Word is set out for us the person who makes the invitation; the reasons for the invitation; the greatness of what awaits for those who respond and many warnings against refusing while at the same time, the blessings of acceptance.
That is why I have paired the ‘invitation’ verse with the Psalmist’s response to it.
Let me go back to the probably rather weak human illustration. I very much doubt that anyone who has received that invitation with Royal Cypher, to a Palace Garden Party has ever thrown it away! And I further suspect that, privately, if not publicly it is still taken out and looked at.
How much more should we emulate the Psalmist as we come to God’s law (his word available to us in the Bible). For as we read, mark and learn from God’s word, so the wonder of the invitation increases, the scope of it fills our thoughts, and we want to make it known to others.
We cannot invite others to a Palace Garden Party but hearing the invitation of Revelation 22.17 we can and must also say, “Come!” to others.
What a joy, what a privilege, what a responsibility to bearers of such an invitation to our fellow men and women!