Come and Dine by Dave Evans

The events surrounding the Crucifixion were past and Jesus had already appeared twice to the disciples after His resurrection. One day, as a number of disciples gathered together, Peter announced he was going fishing. Six others decided to join him, but after they had fished all night, they had nothing to show for their labors. As day was breaking, a solitary figure on the shore called out to them, inquiring if they had any meat. Upon hearing their negative response, He instructed them to cast the net on the other side of the boat. They did and caught a multitude of fish. Suddenly, John realized the figure on the shore was Jesus. Peter then hurriedly jumped in the water and swam to shore while the others guided the boat to land where a fire was burning with a meal of fish and bread prepared and waiting for them.

Then, “Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine…” (John 21:12a KJV) All night long they had labored and now, after a new day had dawned, they were undoubtedly weary and hungry. And so, what a surprise it must have been when they realized it was the Resurrected Master who had invited them to come and dine with Him, to share a meal with Him, and to fellowship with Him. The one who invited them to come and dine was the same one who claimed— “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:48 NKJV) He is also the living water who will quench the thirst of all who drink. Jesus, the bread of life and the living water, gives and sustains life. And just as we need physical food to eat to nourish ourselves, we also must continually dine on Him as our spiritual bread and water to flourish.

Today the Master’s invitation to “come and dine” is tendered to each of us. The words of the old chorus express it well:

Come and dine, the Master calleth,

Come and dine;

you may feast at Jesus’ table all the time;

He who fed the multitude,

Turned the water into wine,

To the hungry calleth now,

Come and dine.

How do we respond each morning when he calls to us? Do we eagerly join Him around the fire and dine with Him? Do we long for fellowship with Him so we can eat the bread of life and drink the living water He offers? Can we say, like Job did, “… I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.”? (Job 23:12 NKJV)

The Master calls, the table is set, and He is ready. Will you come and dine with Him?

Answers To Prayers By Dave Evans

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;” (Philippians 4:6 NKJV)

“Thy will be done…”, taught by Jesus as the model for prayer-- and in the garden Jesus Himself prayed for the will of the Father to be done, not His own

I come to the Father in prayer,

making supplications and intercessions,

letting my requests be made known to Him;

waiting for three possible answers:

“yes”, “no”, or “wait” …

for the “yes” and “no” answers

I am thankful and quite content

to let the will of the Father be done,

rather than insisting on my own—

and for the “wait” answers,

I continue in prayer,

and watch in faith for future “yeses” or “no’s”.

“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;” (Colossians 4:2 NKJV)

Dave Evans

Dave Evans recently retired from his career as an estimator for an electrical contractor, but still works part-time. He recently served as Body Care Pastor for a small church and previously taught at a local Bible College for several years. God led him to found and serve in several outreach ministries—a pet therapy ministry, visiting several skilled nursing facilities and retirement homes: a prayer booth on a local street corner to allow people in the community to stop by for prayer needs and an evangelism table, typically set up once a month at various malls or stores, which made Bibles, tracts, DVDs, and other Christian materials available free of charge to interested shoppers. Dave has a bachelor’s degree in business administration/management. As a writer, he has had many poems and articles published in various periodicals and books. And he’s been privileged to do volunteer work for a local police department.