The Great Invitation

         I can't say that I ever received a great invitation to anything. I never received an invitation to attend the birthday party of one of the most admired girls of my class in Rolling Prairie, Indiana. Only the elite would get one of those invitations. About one of the most sought after invitations in my life would come two days before I would leave the U. S. Navy. I had waited for 8 years and 364 days for an invitation to go to the U. S. Navy Band, but it never came. One thing would happen after another and the invitation never arrived. The School of Music had been transferred to the Little Creek, Virginia area and two days before I was to leave the Navy, a call came from one of the leaders of the band with an invitation to come to the band. It was, however, too late. I was on my way out and chose to say “no” to the invitation. There would come, however, an even greater invitation that was before me for many years and that I had ignored time after time after time. Matthew 11:28-30 says,”Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

          This invitation meant a lot in the days of Jesus and it still does even to us today. The Jewish people were laden down with all kinds of laws from the Pharisees and it was oppressive to them. They needed rest. We are living in a time when we also need rest. In fact, there has not been a time in this world where people have not need to find rest. In many cases, people are oppressed by their religious choice. Their lives are governed by a severe set of works that must be completed in order for them to ever find any kind of rest in the future world. There are others in this world who simply ignore anything religious but soon come to the end of their lives and find that they are tired but can't find rest or peace in anything that they have accumulated over the years. So, many have missed the great invitation that was given by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself so many years ago. The invitation however, is still available as there was no time limit given to it. There was not time limit, but it does have to be accepted before you die. You would think that people would jump at the opportunity to finally come to a place of quiet rest. It should be obvious to us today that we are a people in need of rest. It is simple to say that the Lord Jesus Christ offers us that rest. So, I would call this the “greatest invitation” of all. It is greater than one from the King or Queen of a country, or a high religious leader. This is an invitation from God Himself. Who would refuse such a great invitation? Praise God today for this invitation to find rest.