Listen

On this mountain, the Lord of heavenly forces will prepare for all peoples a rich feast, a feast of choice wines, of select foods rich in flavor, of choice wines well refined. He will swallow up on this mountain the veil that is veiling all peoples, the shroud enshrouding all nations. He will swallow up death forever. The Lord God will wipe tears from every face; he will remove his people’s disgrace from off the whole earth, for the Lord has spoken. They will say on that day, “Look! This is our God, for whom we have waited— and he has saved us! This is the Lord, for whom we have waited; let’s be glad and rejoice in his salvation!”

Isaiah 25:6-9

Think

What would be on your banquet table? For me it would probably be all the ice cream and maybe my grandmother’s oyster stew… or both!

But the food is not what this passage is about, is it? In the greater context of this passage, the Israelites, God’s own chosen people, are headed toward exile like a freight train. It’s happening. And just when God would have every right to be done with the people… God isn’t.

God reminds them (and us) that even when we might be at our worst, God is at God’s best and already working towards restoration and wholeness, a great banquet for us all. This is not a promise dependent on what the people do or must do first, but on what God is already doing.

This is the peace of God; to know that when we are at our worst, our saddest, we already have the promise that God will wipe away our tears and is preparing a banquet for us with all the ice cream. Thanks be to God.

Kris “Bubba” Brammer

Question to Ponder:

When it comes to the best food and drink to be served, what is that comfort food that would be on your banquet table?

Pray

Gracious and loving God, it’s hard to fathom how great your love for me is.

For even when I might feel like I don’t deserve it, you go even further to show me the greatness of your love.

Amen.

Go

May the peace of God surround you.

May the peace of Christ uphold you.

May the peace of the Holy Spirit sustain you.