With Thanksgiving coming this week, I am thinking back to my past “turkey tables”. The story is an old one, but the Words from His Heart are new. May You know His strength as you move into this holiday.
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One particular Thanksgiving in Taiwan, I somehow got the idea to invite everyone that I knew for the holiday meal.
Over a month prior, we ordered five large turkeys from a wholesale meat market, borrowed 15 folding tables and began stockpiling mounds of stale cornbread in the freezer.
Our apartment was too small to contain everyone (as evidenced by the size of our kitchen, entirely pictured above).
So, Mark and I split the guest list into four groups, which would come to our house on different days:
Our Mandarin speaking church
Our English speaking colleagues
Our Taiwanese colleagues
Our American/Canadian friends, who had become family.
It contained 147 names.
In the span of ten days, our lives revolved around setting up tables and clearing them away.
Needless to say, I’ve never done that again.
Ever heard of Black Friday? Yeah, I coined that phrase years before retailers ever thought of opening their doors at midnight.
And the sad thing was – I’m not sure all of that preparation benefited any of the guests.
But, our Divine Host doesn’t have that problem.
Right now, He is “preparing a table” for you.
He realizes that when you arrive, you will have smell of death’s valley about you.
You have been in the midst of darkness, wild animals and thieves. You are wounded and scraped up.
You weren’t nearly as courageous as you had hoped. You hid, cowered, and tried to retreat, but somehow, He led you out.
So, before you can go before the King to eat the feast, He has brought clean garments that are just your size.
Put your name in the blank and hear what the Father speaks on your behalf.
“ ___________, your garments are filthy and need to be removed. There now, I have taken your iniquity away and cleansed your inner man (Zechariah 3:3-5).
“Allow Me now to renew Your mind according to a true knowledge of Who I am (Colossians 3:9). I’ve given you My very own Mind, you know (1 Corinthians 2:16). Make a stand against the evil one, who desires to destroy those honorable thoughts. Put on the helmet of My salvation and stand firm against degrading thoughts, which are straight from the pit (Ephesians 6:11, 17).
“Go ahead, _______. Be angry with the devil and push back from His deception (Ephesians 4:26-27). He prowls to devour you with his sour, jealous thoughts toward others (1 Peter 5:8-9). Don’t let him have the time of day, especially in these days when you will be with family. Instead, take care of your every thought, bringing each to My Feet (2 Corinthians 10:5). Herein is your victory. Herein is the feast.”
This is the feast prepared just for you. Laid out in splendor by the Master Himself.
Won’t you spend a few moments in worship and thankfulness for His preparation?
His feast has healing for your soul. Have an amazing Thanksgiving.
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