A Seat At The Table

Well, it’s the first day of the week and once again I find myself trying to decide what I will blog about from yesterday’s message. Like some of my other blogs, there were too many points in my message to be able to touch them all.  So, I will attempt, once again, to take one of the points and expound on it alone.

In our Torah portion from last week, verse #10 of Exodus 14, it says that the children of Israel were sore afraid.  It never ceases to amaze me when I read this story that after all of the marvelous signs that the Lord showed them, they would continue to be in fear.  It wasn’t that they cried out unto the Lord, it was how they cried out to the Lord.  They cried out in fear, not in faith. 

In my message yesterday, I looked at a Psalm of David, chapter 18, verses 1 through 3.  It says in verse 1, “I will love thee, o Lord, my strength; verse 2, “the Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower”.  What a way to start off a prayer to the Lord, rehearsing who He is in your heart.  Then, verse 3 says, “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies”.  This is the way to cry out to the Lord, my brothers and sisters.  Not in fear, but knowing who He is, in that there is no enemy that can come against you.  For if God be for you, who can be against you.

I went to see a movie last week at one of my favorite theaters.  I’ve been there many, many times before, but this was the first time that they had assigned seats.  I usually get to the theater very early so that I can get a good seat.  But, this time was different.  For when I bought my ticket, I had the opportunity to choose probably the best seat in the house.  I went to the concession stand and realized the person behind the counter was new.  She was a little slow, and I started to get a little anxious, because people were going into the theater.  I still had to put butter on my popcorn and was waiting for my chicken nuggets to come out.  I realized then that I didn’t need to be anxious, because I had an assigned seat.  This was different for me, because there was still a little fear that I was not going to get a good seat, but the fear was false, because my seat was already reserved for me!!

My dear brothers and sisters, this is what the children of Israel were doing.  They were so afraid of what Pharaoh could do to them from past experience, that they did not realize what God said was more true than what Pharaoh could do.

God said that He was going to lead them to the promised land and He had already shown Himself mighty and able to save.  There was a place waiting for them.  There was a seat reserved for them.  Think about that!  Rejoice about that!  Rest in that!  You have a seat reserved at the table of the Lord.  Whatever God has said to you SHALL come to pass.  No matter what the enemy has declared that he is going to do to you, he is a liar.  The truth is spoken by God, your father, your strength, your fortress, who is able to deliver you. 

So, dear friends, the next time you are cornered or caught between a rock and a hard place, don’t cry out in fear, but shout out in faith.  For just like Moses said, “See that the Lord will fight for you” (Exodus 14:14). 

I hope to see you all this coming Sabbath, so that we can partake together of the Bread of Life at the Lord’s Table.  It’s not just the name of our congregation (The Lord’s Table), but it is the essence of where we long to be at The Lord’s Table.  And, at The Lord’s Table, there is a seat reserved for you.  Don’t ever forget that no matter how hard it might be, the Lord has reserved a seat for you at His table.  Amen!