Reclining at the Table

“You prepare a table before me…” (Psalm 23:5) “When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table…” Matthew 26:20.

Many of our thoughts and ideas are built on our initial assumptions early in life. At a very early age I assumed that in order for someone to like me I had to ‘bring something to the table.’ It never dawned on me that someone would love me just for who I was, although my parents showed me this consistently every day. Sometimes we make erroneous assumptions based on our own ideas. When I was 5 years old I can remember seeing a moving truck roll into the neighborhood delivering the household goods of a new neighbor. I stacked five saltine crackers on a plate and walked down the dirt road to offer them a welcome gift. With my assumption lying at the base of my beliefs, every thought and action built upon that base. It seems ridiculous that in my mind, 5 saltine crackers was the price to pay for a friendship.

As I grew into a woman the crackers became conditions, and the table I prepared for others served dishes of unattainable expectations and plates of unfulfilled loyalties. I would invite others to my table but would lack the attitude of a gracious host. It wasn’t until God placed circumstances in my life through several dark seasons that I realized I served no one for free. He led me by the hand and took me to His table and showed me the life giving nourishment for which He served. He showed me that He is the only one who could sustain me. He shared with me the truth of His sacrifice and that He did not climb up on that cross because of anything I had done or any offering I had made. His table was based on truth…no assumptions, no misunderstandings. He died so that I could live and eat at His table on earth and heaven.

I remember when my grandfather died I asked my grandmother how she had so much peace with his absence. She looked at me with her amazing faith and said, ‘Well, Brenda, it is like he stood up from my side of the table and moved to the Lord’s side of the table.’ Now that is a woman who did not build her life on assumptions. She took God at His word and didn’t accept anything less than what He laid out for her on His table.

Let us all recline at the Lord's table, relaxing in His Spirit and dining on His fare.