“For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:33

Picnics

When I was a kid, we didn’t have much extra money. We lived as a lower-middle class family in a 900-square foot home. We had cookies and milk waiting for us after school. We jumped—all of us together—in rain puddles. We played in forts built out of boxes. We put on puppet shows in the back yard. Life was good.

One of the most memorable feel-good things we did together was going on picnics. Mom fried up chicken, made potato salad and lemonade, and gathered the supplies. Once at the park, the red-checkered tablecloth was laid out under a tree, and all the food was put in the middle. Mom or Dad would call us to come eat, and then there we sat, our whole family, eating and laughing, with my brother continually jumping up to run all over the place from the sheer glee that arises from the freedom of open spaces and the security of love.

When I remember picnics, I picture God calling us to come to the table with Him, from the symbolism of the bread and wine in the Tabernacle, to the celebration of Christ’s body and blood in Communion. Who does He call to the table? His family.

Tables are about families. Gatherings of loved ones. Fellowship brought forth by hospitality. Laughter and caring, sharing history and stories and His story around the table, brings release from troubles, if only temporarily. The other things of life are laid aside, and then people matter most.

There will be a great table before us at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. We don’t have to wonder if we are invited—we are the Bride! That table will contain unimaginable delights prepared for us by our Father. Perhaps we, too, will be running all over the place from the sheer glee that arises from the freedom of open spaces and the security of love. Or perhaps we will fall on our face right where we stand from the sheer weight of His glory and presence.

But His table is also for us today. I can almost see Him laying out a rough linen cloth in green pastures by still waters, and putting out the simple foods. We come and sit with Him. Maybe we talk quietly together; maybe we sit quietly enjoying the fact that we just want to be together. This is what takes place when we commune with Him in our hearts, when we are satisfied in Him, when we meditate on Him and His Word. This is the spiritual feast we are called to every day—to be with Him, to partake of that spiritual food and drink which is Christ. “…all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:3-4).

“Father, You fill us with delights at Your table. We are satisfied in You. Amen.”