With the Finest Fare – October 26, 2020

On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines.
Isaiah 25:6

With the Finest Fare

When was the last time you went to a banquet? You know, a fancy meal, probably in a fancy place, attended by people dressed up in their fanciest clothes. Perhaps it was a wedding banquet, or a banquet celebrating someone’s retirement, or a couple’s golden anniversary. We don’t go to banquets every day. They’re reserved for special occasions.

In chapter 25 of his book, the prophet Isaiah wrote about an extraordinary banquet. It’s extraordinary because of who the host is. He wrote that “the LORD Almighty” would prepare this banquet. We might glance over the words “LORD Almighty” without too much thought because they appear often in the Bible. But the name “LORD Almighty” is intended to express power. This is the God who summons and commands the angel armies! He sets the stars in their places and draws up the boundaries for the oceans. And yet, Isaiah insists that he is the one preparing a banquet.

Isn’t that remarkable? The God we serve is also willing to serve us, to make sure that we have all we need—especially everything we need to feed our souls.

This world is barren and devoid of rich spiritual food. Material possessions, humanistic philosophies, knowledge, relationships, adventure all claim that they can fill us up and make us satisfied. And they might for a while. But when all is said and done, we find ourselves still spiritually hungry.

What we really need is the food God prepares. And unlike most banquets, this feast is one that is before us every day—as we are filled up by God’s Word revealed in the Bible. There we see Jesus, the bread from heaven, who feeds us with the forgiveness he won for us and soothes our thirst for joy and peace. In Jesus, we have the most abundant spiritual feast imaginable.

Prayer:
LORD Almighty, thank you for providing food for my stomach and more importantly, food for my soul. Lead me to find daily nourishment in that rich banquet. Amen.