A lady came home to her house after a long day working to find an unexpected guest in her kitchen. A young black bear, about two years old and maybe weighing several hundred pounds, had forced open her sliding door on the back porch while she was away. The hungry bear had followed his nose into the kitchen. There he found a large, ceramic storage jar full of oatmeal.
He knocked off the lid, and what he found inside was very much to his liking.
The lady came home not knowing she had an intruder in her house. When she went into the kitchen, she was startled and frightened! She saw the bear sitting on its haunches, with the jar in his front paws, busily eating the oatmeal. She quickly left the house and called for help on her cell phone. Meanwhile, the bear, contented as could be, continued his feast.
The oatmeal must have been very much to the bear's liking, because when police Sergeant Paul Skeleton arrived, the big, furry animal was still happily eating.
Sergeant Skeleton tried yelling to shoo the bear out of the house. The bear completely ignored him. Since the bear was simply eating oatmeal and not destroying any property, Sergeant Skeleton decided just to wait and see what would happen when the bear was done.
The bear finished the oatmeal, got up and walked out the same door he had opened to come in. From there he lumbered down into a forested ravine behind the house. The ravine was part of a "greenbelt," which was a long trail of trees. Hopefully, the bear traveled through this greenbelt all the way back into the mountains in British Columbia where he belonged.
The bear was an uninvited guest who enjoyed a special feast. He wasn't invited, but he came anyway. Do you know God invites every boy and girl and grown-up to a feast? The feast to which God invites you begins when you, by faith, accept the Lord Jesus as your very own Savior. Feasts are generally occasions of great happiness. This feast is no different. There is no greater joy than knowing that your sins are forgiven and you are on your way to heaven, because the Savior gave His life to save you. Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, made a great feast in Bible times which lasted only one night. However, the feast God invites you and me to will last forever. It will begin here on earth as we daily learn more of the "unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph. 3:88Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; (Ephesians 3:8)), and it will continue through all eternity in heaven.
In the Old Testament, there is a verse which reads, "He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love" ( Sol. 2:44He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. (Song of Solomon 2:4)). When a person accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, it is as if God brings them to His banqueting table where they may feast for the rest of their lives. It is a feast which brings much happiness to our souls. Unless you and I accept God's invitation, we will have a soul hunger which does not go away.
The bear ate until his hunger was gone and then disappeared into the forest. But he will become hungry again. Those who place their faith in the Lord Jesus will find food and drink for their souls in a never-ending supply. The Lord Jesus said, "I am the bread of life: he that [comes] to Me shall never hunger; and he that [believes] on Me shall never thirst" (John 6:3535And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)).
In Luke 14 the Lord Jesus told a story about a great feast. In the story the very important invitation went out, "Come; for all things are now ready" (vs. 17). But those who were invited didn't think the invitation was very important, and they made many excuses not to come. Because they decided not to come, they would never taste of that wonderful supper. God in grace invites you to receive His great salvation offered through His Son Jesus. Don't make excuses why you can't come... say "yes" to Him and come to the Savior who loves you. It is the most important decision you will ever make.
The bear wasn't invited, but he came into the house and ate the oatmeal. You are invited to come to the Lord Jesus and to the Father's house of plenty. Will you come?