Today's choice of songs has been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. I remember sitting in the living room with my family watching one of the many Christmas specials that came on TV in December. Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, and many other classics were always fun to look forward to each year but there was one show in particular that always got to me. I was mesmerized by the storyline and used to think about it so often. I marveled that there was a little boy who was able to approach Jesus. How much courage it must have taken him to walk over to gathering and in his little squeaky voice ask if he might join them. My mind would race and wonder how this could be and what a special boy he must be. I would try to imagine what it was like for him-all little and probably scared but he was also so brave. Yes, it is a fictional story with a little boy but sometimes that is all it takes to rouse one's curiosity and being so fascinated that you want to know more.
If you haven't guessed it yet, well, here is today's song choice.......drum roll....get it :)
The Little Drummer Boy!!
Here is Pentatonix's version of the song:
In the midst of the 20 or so 'pa rum pa pum pum's there is that very first word in the song...'Come'. Only four letters and not even the most used word in the song but it speaks volumes (at least to me it does). This little lad is given an invitation to come. Come and see! Isn't that marvelous!
Who doesn't enjoy being invited somewhere? Ok, I will admit that at certain times of year it may be overwhelming to receive invite after invite requesting your presence at an event. In December, calendars and planners are filled with school events to attend, cookie exchanges, teas and socials and let's just get together and enjoy some eggnog together {I can't stand eggnog so if you invite me for that I will have to decline ;)}. But what about when that one invite comes in the mail and you see the return address and can't wait to rip open the envelope and read each and every detail. You were invited to the 'it' party or THE main social event of the season that everyone would give their right arm to attend. You start to scream, jump up and down with excitement, call the hairdresser for an appointment closest to the time of the event and rummage through your closet to find the perfect outfit.
Do you know that you have already received the MOST amazing invitation to 'Come and see'? In John 1:39 Jesus invites the first two disciples to 'come and see'.
In John 1:45-46 Phillip is telling Nathaniel that they found Jesus, Nathaniel is skeptical so Phillip invites him to 'come and see for yourself'.
In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
My friends, this is the best invitation you could ever receive. To come to Jesus! Wherever you are in life, whatever burdens you may be carrying, whatever your past or even your present situation consists of-you are invited to come and see!! See for yourself who Jesus is. Don't let media or anything, anyone dissuade you. Don't make your opinions based on whatever negativity you may have heard from somewhere else....Just as Phillip said to Nathaniel-'come see for yourself'. How else will you know if you don't see for yourself?!
Imagine receiving an invitation to come and see the Prince and Princess get married or perhaps and invitation to come and see their new born baby. Oh my gosh, the excitement would surpass all you can think of. And then, those thrilling moments quickly pass because now you have to think of the perfect gift that is befitting royalty. Your excitement quickly dulls as you start to realize that there is nothing you can think of that would be good enough to bring this little prince or princess.
Ah, but here in this song, we see this young lad being invited to come-come and see this new born King. Only a child himself, he wonders what could he possibly give that would honor the King that he was invited to see. He has his drum and asks to use it to play a song for this new born babe. And yes, it is a made up song but I really do love how it says 'He smiled at me'. You know, we don't all have elaborate gifts that we can wrap up in the finest gift wrap and present to royalty. We don't all have bank accounts that exceed double or triple digits. Not all of us can sing on key, some of us may get physically ill at the thought of speaking before a crowd, or our culinary skills may only include boiling water without it spilling over.
Guess what?! That's ok!!! Yes, it is ok! You don't need to be Ina or Martha! Each of us has been given some type of gift and when we use it for the Lord I believe it makes Him smile. He is well pleased to see us use whatever we have for his glory. So again, don't decline an invitation to come just because you don't feel you have anything of worth or value to offer. You do!
There is a Parable in the bible found in Luke 14:15-24 It is a parable about a man having a big banquet. He sends his servants out to invite the people to come, the banquet is ready. Sadly, one by one the invited guests made an excuse why they couldn't come. My job, my household, one reason or another why they couldn't come to the banquet.
Revelation 19:9 speaks about the Marriage Supper Of the Lamb. Once again, there is an invitation offered. This invitation is open to all who will come. Jesus Christ extends this invitation to each and every person ever born. There are no exclusions. But just as with any invitation we receive, we have a choice to make.
We can choose to ignore the invitation and throw it away. We can take the invitation and put it with a pile of other things to sort through at a later date, we can simply RSVP with a 'no' or we can respond by saying 'yes'.
Like any other invitation, there is usually a deadline as to when you should RSVP. If you try to do so after the deadline, it's too late and you cannot be included. The same holds true for the invitation to come to Christ, to join Him and many others at the marriage supper of the Lamb. We only have while we are alive and breathing on this earth. Once we die, we are not given another chance. The choice we made while living is the choice that stays with us for eternity. No prayer after death said by any one on your behalf can change the reality of your choice on earth.
So today, you have have received this invitation to Come...come to Jesus. You have been invited to offer what you have to Him-no matter how big or small in anyone else's eyes. You have been invited to come and the choice is yours. You have been invited, perhaps once again, to cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for you. To give over your burdens and worries because He wants to carry them for you. You have been invited to come-just as you are-into the presence of God.
How will you respond?
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