You Are Invited – January 7, 2021

We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.
Matthew 2:2

You Are Invited

Some events in life are so important we send out invitations to the special people in our lives. The Lord did that for the Magi in a very nonconventional way. He provided a star that led them to Jesus.

How does the Lord lead us to the Christ Child? How do we know if there’s room for us or that he even wants us there? Certainly, he wants ALL of us there. Over and over again, in the Bible, God asks his followers to express love and kindness to ALL people—family members, friends, people marginalized by society, even enemies. He urges us to share the good news about Jesus with ALL people. He emphatically announces that his son, Jesus, was sent for ALL people. But he probably won’t fling a special star into the sky to lead us to Jesus, the Savior of the world. Instead, he may use parents. Or maybe he’ll use a friend, a co-worker, a total stranger, or even an online devotion to invite us to come and worship Jesus.

And to what are we invited?

We are invited to bring our past mistakes and failures and lay them at Jesus’ feet. We are invited to hear Jesus say, “Go in peace; I forgive you.” We are invited to lean on Jesus for strength, to seek comfort in our sadness, and to find rest for our weary souls. We are invited to pray to a Savior who will hear us in our time of need.

So here it is: No matter what you’ve done in the past, no matter how many times you may have been too busy for previous invitations, God still calls to you. No matter how many doors have been slammed in your face, God’s door stands open. Consider yourself cordially invited to worship and serve the God who never tires of loving and serving you. And while you’re at it, spread the word. Pass it on. Share the invitation.

Prayer:
Gracious Lord, thank you for wanting me and making room for me in your family. If today I have an opportunity to share your gracious invitation with someone else in my life, allow me to do so with courage and sincerity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.