Come…
Come – an invitation for your presence…what joy it is to be wanted, desired and to belong. We are invited to enjoy a new experience and fellowship with others who are also invited.
Have you ever been invited to a gathering and looked around at the other guests and felt very unprepared to fit in because of the clothes you chose to wear? That uncomfortable feeling begins from the bottom of your feet, and doesn’t end until the top of your head. What a blessing to know God looks on the heart and not the latest fashion, or if we have an extra long nose, or our head is balding.
When I was a child, I asked my mother why she always wore a hat to church. I knew we were too poor to buy a hat, and mother made her own hats. Evidently the Come as You Are… phrase had not penetrated the moirés of society in the 1930’s. Jesus had not heard of it either as he said…Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28. Jesus helps us bear the burdens of life and gives us the joy of knowing He cares, and these burdens will not last.
Zacchaeus, the wee little man in the tree, did not have a warning that Jesus was coming to his house. He just wanted to see Jesus. Jesus didn’t give Zacchaeus a chance to prepare or cook a meal for days or clean the house, He just came.
As I searched references for the word ‘come’ in the Bible, I began to see the promises of God if we come to Him, just as we are. David asked for protection from his persecutors, safety and refuge, help, and to come quickly.
But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” Matthew 19:14
Jesus invites us to come to Him without pretence and with wide-eyed adoration. Even as children try their best to please, so Jesus asks us, jaded with world, filled with sin and deception, to come to Him as children. There are no masks or hidden secrets, we simply come with every part of our being to our Creator and know we will be loved!
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35
Imagine never being hungry or thirsty. When we fill our lives with things of the world, there is no room for Jesus. There is a hunger that is more than physical hunger, but a spiritual hunger. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11
This eternity is implanted deep in our soul as a hunger that can only be satisfied by loving and trusting Jesus. When we invite Jesus into our lives, He begins to fill that void that gnaws and grates at our being. It is as if we know there is more, but we can never know how to be rid of the hunger until we accept the invitation of Jesus to Come to Him.
How close is Jesus to you and to me? “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Revelation 3:20. This one verse tells us that he is with us, just outside of the door of our hearts. He wants to give us the bread of life and living water…and this will satisfy and give us peace and hope. Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” John 7:38
The rejections that we feel in life from family and friends through the perceived lack of something in our lives; and the rejection in applying for jobs or places are gone in Jesus. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. John 6:37. We are never rejected when we come to Jesus. He loved us first.
The final ‘come’, is the Second Coming of Jesus. “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.” Revelation 16:15. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. Galatians 3:27. What garments should we be wearing….? Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” I Peter 5:5
† – He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20
† – I come to you for protection, O Lord my God. Save me from my persecutors—rescue me! Psalm 7:1
† – Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge. Psalm 16:1
† – O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. Psalm 31:1
† – Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior. Psalm 33:28
† – The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” John 4:25-26
† – I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. John 12:46
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6
† – Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. John 14:8
† – But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. John 15:26
† – And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Colossians 3:15
† – Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love. 2 John 1:3
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