God's hospitality

Yesterday we talked about the hospitality of God: that which God expects us to give to Him and to others, that which God invites us to enjoy.

One point which was new to me, was that God can receive from us. Strangely, I had never considered this much before. God made everything, owns everything, and if there were anything He wanted which He didn't have easily to hand, surely He could just make it? For Him, to imagine could be to have, instantly.

Yet, in the Bible we hear of God entering into covenants with people, talking and bargaining with people, promising to do things for people and asking for things in return: worship, obedience, building an ark (and another ark) and a tent, and a building. I knew all this, yet never thought of God wanting anything - I guess I just assumed that all this was just to exercise our obedience muscles, or as a test.

It is also a rather strange thought that anything we can offer could be acceptable to God. He could immediately have the best of all possible foods, materials, incense or buildings, if He should decide He wanted such things. Reminds me a bit of my grandmother going to a restaurant and saying "I could make this better at home for half the price!"

But God accepts our offerings when we give them - He accepted hospitality from Lot, from Abraham, from Mary. He accepts our offerings to do His work, given through the church and other groups. He allows us to participate in the running of the world through prayer - even allows us to talk directly to Him in whatever ways we need to. I think sometimes I talk more respectfully to my boss here on earth than to my God. Hmmm.

God accepts what I offer, so surely everything I offer should be of the very best? Yet, He also says that everything I do should be as if it were done for Him. So, I should give my best all the time, and not keep it just for offerings to God. Now that's generosity on God's part - to ask for my best, only to give it back again to the world!