Feast

My new extended family in the Philippines, who know how to feast! I'm in the center on the right, and my husband is in the plaid shirt next to me.

There's something about a feast that just conjures up joy and life and fullness. And I'm not just talking about a full stomach.

I wrote yesterday about my dieting extremes and craving Jesus instead of food. But food is still a good thing God created and wants us to enjoy.

God talks a lot about feasting and enjoying Him through the concepts of food and drink. Here are a few:

Genesis 21:8 - Abraham celebrates his promised son Isaac's birth with a feast.

Exodus 12:17 - The Lord tells the Hebrews to celebrate His deliverance with the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

1 Kings 8:65 - Solomon held a feast after the consecration of the temple.

Throughout the Old Testament are commands from God to take rests and commemorate special events with feasts to the Lord - Feast of Trumpets, Feast of Booths, Feast of Weeks, etc. God loves feasting!

One of my favorite verses that I write in a lot of greeting cards and wedding books is Psalm 36:7-9:    
  How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
  They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
  For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light do we see light.

It is so vivid and beautiful and shows God's generous nature. Another Psalm says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good!" (Psalm 34:8) He's inviting us to test his goodness for ourselves.

I mentioned my love for the image of a feast in reference to missions. I had the privilege of attending Urbana 2012, a young adult missions conference, where the theme was Come to the Table. At the conference, the Gospel was presented as an invitation to join God's banqueting table. He is overflowing with love and goodness and blessing, and He wants you to share in the feast!

That is how I think of the Gospel now. And that image is confirmed in the book that explains the consummation of all time: Revelation.

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
    the Almighty reigns.
  Let us rejoice and exult
    and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
    and his Bride has made herself ready;
  it was granted her to clothe herself
    with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
Revelation 19:6-9

Feast on God, who He is, His character, His promises, His goodness, and everything good He has created for us to enjoy. Accept His invitation to enjoy His goodness and abundance for all eternity. And look forward to the day when we will see Him face to face and enjoy the greatest dinner party of all time!