The Invitation

The Invitation
Paulette Fraticelli

(Prov 9:1-3 MSG) Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home; it's supported by seven hewn timbers. The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted, wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers. Having dismissed her serving maids, Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place, and invites everyone within sound of her voice.

In chapter 8 Solomon introduced God's wisdom to us as, "Lady Wisdom." In this chapter Solomon continues to use the same analogy as he paints a picture of a great feast. He tells us that Lady Wisdom has a beautiful home, fully furnished, and ready for a bountiful banquet. Everything you could want to eat is prepared and ready at the banquet. Once everything is in place and the only thing missing is your presence, Lady Wisdom goes out to town, stands in the town square, and makes her invitation. This eliminates all excuses. The table is spread, the silverware is set, the music is playing in the background, the flowers are already in water, the party is ready and all you have to do is show up to enjoy it.

Why does God paint a picture of a feast here? Why does He make the connection between His Wisdom and a good time? I believe it is because He is making His offer attractive and rightly so, He should.

Make no mistake, Jehovah and satan are rivals for the souls of men. Satan unashamedly paints a rosy picture of the life he offers. He makes his life - the life of sex, drugs, alcohol, fast money, and etc. - look very attractive and he make no excuses for it. His offer is both clear and deceptive at the same time. He clearly offers temporary pleasure, but what he fails to explain is that his offer bring with it eternal consequences. The enemy conveniently fails to show the fine print (on the bottom of the invitation) to his guests; the fine print that says, "All guests at this party are also reserved for a complimentary stay in eternal damnation."

Lady Wisdom's invitation has no fine print, no trappings, and no strings attached. To accept her invitation is to accept a rewarding, fulfilling and enjoyable life. Her table is spread, her feast is prepared, her party is ready, and the question is: will you accept the invite? Now, let me be clear. Accepting Christ as your Lord, becoming a Kingdom citizen, and deciding to walk with God all the days of your life does not mean that you will not face challenges. However, what it does mean is that you will not have to face the challenges alone. God will be in you, on you, with you, and for you every step of the way. With God on your side you can experience guiltless victory and success.
When you succeed God's way - a way free of corruption, lies, deceit and backbiting to get ahead - you gain the added benefit of being able to live free of regret, resentment and shame. Believe me, this is the Good life and it is awesome!

So what does this mean? It means that there are two invitations and they both look attractive, but only one comes with pure motives. Choose God, choose His path, choose His feast, and in so doing you literally choose the life He intends for you to live. There is a cause and effect for everything. Don't be fooled into thinking that your decisions do not matter. Hosea told us that if we sow wind we would reap a whirlwind (Hosea 8:7). So make sure you make the right choice.

Father, I choose Your invitation. I am take You up on Your offer. I am going to Your party. I am able to enjoy Your feast without having to give up my eternal destination for temporary pleasure. In You I can have both pleasure and peace. I can enjoy my life now and still have the confidence of eternal life with You. It is clear to me that Your life is the best life and I choose to live my best life now. I seek success Your way and I am able to enjoy success without regret, resentment or shame. I experience guiltless victory today and everyday! In Jesus' name. Amen