The Invitation
A devotional by Mirachelle Canada
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
—Revelation 3:20 (ESV)
When I was young, getting a birthday party invitation from a classmate was a big deal.
In the fourth grade, my parents let me purchase some awesome birthday invitations in the shape of a teddy bear for my tenth birthday – a girls slumber party – that I couldn’t wait to hand out to my friends in class. On the day I handed out the invitations to everyone, I turned to see one of my classmates, Tammy, silently crying in the corner. I immediately realized why. I had passed out all my cute invitations and, because I had forgotten to put her name on my list, Tammy had not received an invitation.
It was a physical mistake that could be fixed, but the emotional damage was done. I knew Tammy felt the pain of being left out, just like those who are forgotten, picked last for a team, or overlooked altogether. I had experienced that feeling myself and knew how bad it feels.
Having a relationship with God and His son, Jesus Christ, means we are invited into fellowship every day, but it is a special invitation that requires an acknowledgement and acceptance. In some cultures, one knock at the door is appropriate and then you may enter at your leisure. However, Jesus is a gentleman who will “stand at the door and knock” (Revelation 3:20). He calls to let us know it is Him, so we can choose to open the door and let Him in.
How often do we miss Jesus’s call and leave Him waiting outside because of life’s distractions that drown out His voice and/or cause us to forget all about Him? It’s important to always make time for Him in our lives no matter the circumstances. He should always be at the top of our guest list.
I will never forget the light that shown in Tammy’s eyes the next day in class when I presented her with a teddy bear invitation and apologized for my oversight. Though she said she understood, I could still sense a bit of sadness at being invited last, so I made it point at my party, when it came time to do a lip sync contest, to pick her as my partner. She had a smile as wide as the ocean.
You see, not matter the oversight, the mistake, or lack of invitation to a friend or to God, it’s important to remember that when we seek to do our best before God and listen for His direction, He will always find a way to honor it. God promises to “come in” to fellowship with us. So be sure to open the door and invite Him in today!
*Note from Alexis: Mirachelle's message today reminds me of this song, "Look a Little Closer" by Helen Baylor. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Mirachelle Canada is a writer, playwright, screenwriter, and theatre director/producer from Northern Virginia, where she teaches television production at her high school alma mater.
Mirachelle is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, American Fiction Writers Virginia Chapter, The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and Your Novel Blueprint.
She is currently working on her first historical fiction novel set during WWII.
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Connect with Mirachelle:
Website: www.mirachellecanada.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirachellecanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/miracan
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