Beth Moore's daily devotion on The Parable of the Great Banquet

I read this today and thought it was too good not to share. I absolutely LOVE Beth Moore's Bible Studies! In between taking her studies, I like to look at these quick daily devotionals. Plus, I've been way too busy to post a blog of my own. Hopefully things will settle down a little in the next few days.

Beth Moore wrote:

If you've ever done a jig-saw puzzle, what do you think is the most important piece? The corner? The last piece? Actually, the most important piece of the jig-saw puzzle is...the box top! Without the boxtop, you can't see the "big picture". And without the big picture, how can you make sense of all the little pieces?

If the Bible had a box-top, what do you think it would be? Isaiah 7:14 says, "...Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel," which translated means, God with us. That's it! From Genesis to Revelation, the boxtop reads, God with us - God wants to be in relationship with YOU!

The parable in Luke is about an invitation - an invitation to dinner, but really, an invitation into relationship - relationship with the Father. Notice the excuses some of the guests give:

• "No thank you. I just bought a piece of land..."
• "No thank you, I just bought five oxen..."
• "No thank you, I just got married..."

Sadly, no one accepts the invitation. Look closely at their excuses. They allowed possessions, career, and human relationships to get in the way of the invitation into relationship with God. What is getting in your way? What excuses do you have for not accepting the invitation to dine at the table of relationship? Take a moment to meditate on that question and let the Holy Spirit reveal anything that has been taking precedent over your time with God.

Isn't it time to stop making excuses, and to start saying "yes" to God's big picture boxtop - relationship? Accept the invitation and let Jesus put together the puzzle pieces of your life. It's why He came - to be with us, to be with you!