The Invitation

This has definitely been a year for trying new things. Learning how to launch and write this blog has been my primary new thing. Another has been learning about and experimenting with macro photography. Macro is a form of photography that gets very close-up images of a small subject or small parts of the subject. Often the photo is so close that observers may not know what was actually photographed since the details revealed aren’t those normally seen. I’m enamored with these up-close images. I find the details are so dramatic, they are informative, and they’re always wonder inducing! Here’s a little gallery of some of my favorites.

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Playing with macro is how I discovered the gorgeous details of poinsettia flowers. They are beautiful plants. I confess when they show up for the Christmas season, my perspective has been influenced by my inability over the years to keep them looking nice for very long. But studying them up-close has transformed how I view them.

All the pretty red display that we normally think of as the flower are really specialized leaves, called bracts. They put on a marvelous display! They’re the first thing we see, right? It’s these bracts that get the attention of the pollinators too, calling out, “Hey, come over and take a look!” They offer up an invitation to come to the flower.

Drawing closer, down in the center of the bracts, the real flowers are clustered in the “bull’s eye” of the display. They are contained in little green structures called cyathia.

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To me they look like little bouquets bursting forth, sporting red stems and yellowish pollen. The most striking feature though are the little goblets or cup-like structures. These cups contain nectar, the real desire of all the pollinators. Notice they start out looking like little lips and then swell to open into urn-shaped cups. Though tiny, the cups are relatively quite large compared to the flowers in the cyathia. They are full to the brim, some overflowing! Pollinators are invited to the cups, a source of life and sustenance for them.

Focusing on those brimming full cups of nectar brought to mind another cup, the one that “runneth over,” in Psalm 23.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Psalm 23:5

What a rich and profoundly satisfying expression. It speaks of all sorts of blessing. The metaphor conveys not only God’s protection, favor, and provision, but also His intimate presence, and His delight in our company. Can you picture this – an abundant feast prepared by the God of all creation who then showers us with His favor and presence, all while our enemies look on? His invitation is to abundant life, and is expressed throughout Scripture.

For example, in Revelation, we read that Jesus stands at the door and knocks. For anyone who hears His voice and opens the door, what will he do? He says in Revelation 3:20, “I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me.”

Or in these beautiful verses from Isaiah we read,

“Come everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. And he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, And your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, And delight yourselves in rich food.

Incline your ear, and come to me; Hear that your soul may live; And I will make you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.”

Isaiah 55:1-3

God implores us to incline our ears and hear the words of invitation. Hear, that our souls may live! “Come!”

We read Christ’s words in John 7:37. “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.’” My study Bible says this about the three action verbs in this verse — thirst, come, and drink.

“These three words summarize the gospel invitation. A recognition of need leads to an approach to the source of provision, followed by receiving what is needed.”

John MacArthur

I’m thankful for this invitation. It is the Lord’s grand invitation, the good news of God’s plan put in place before time began. Jesus stated it simply, yet His invitation is so profound it will be studied and wondered at forever. In concert with the invitation to receive eternal life, I’ve discovered it’s also His invitation to an abundant daily life.

“Carole Lynn no matter your need. In your loneliness today, in your weakness and helplessness, in your striving, in your longings and desires, in your grief, pain, or failure, in battling against shame and fear, in your wandering from Me, in your living and in your dying, come. Come close. I am with you, I am your strength, I am your satisfaction, I am your provision, I am your comfort and joy, I am your deliverer, I am your shield and defense, I am your helper, I am your peace, I am your way, I am your life. I am your cup. I am.”

His word overflows with these truths. It is indeed an everyday gospel to which I must return over and over as a bee would to nectar. It is overflowing, life-giving, and life sustaining.*

“Thank You Father for Your invitation that calls out to us throughout Your Word. You say listen – oh, give ears to hear. You say come — give willing hearts. You say receive – give us faith over fear and repentance instead of rebellion. Let us learn to see our need as Your invitation to draw near, that our souls may delight in Your abundance. May we experience You as our most satisfying treasure in the day to day of our journey on earth.”

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*My I am verses: Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 138:3; Psalm 63:3-5; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Matthew 5:4; Psalm 16:11; Colossians 1:13-14; Psalm 18:1-3; Psalm 121:1-2; Psalm 55:18; John 14:6; Psalm 73:24-26.

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As usual, there was so much more I wanted to say. If you are interested in more content on this theme of the cup for your own meditation or to share with your small group, please reach out to me using the Contact Me form.

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If you, like me, need help in caring for your poinsettia, try this page at The Spruce for their good advice.