“So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.” 1 Samuel 25:35
Never underestimate the power of a good meal, and the impact that those who prepare it can have. Around a good meal we: congregate, share stories, learn, engage, and bond. How many children have turned into adults at a birthday dinner? How many sermons were discussed over Sunday afternoon fried chicken? The table and the food that furnishes it is grafted into the fabric of our daily lives. We can never underestimate the power of a good meal, or the profit that can come from simply gathering around the kitchen table. There is a lot that can be said for good ole fashion home cookin’.
In the 25th chapter of Samuel, soon to be King David crosses paths with a foolish man (quite literally) named Nabal. Nabal snubs the King in a way that enrages David. Nabal was foolish by all accounts, but thankfully his wife Abigail was not. She recognized the authority that David held through God, not simply because he was David the warrior, but rather because he was David the anointed King. In faith she saw the Lord's anointed reigning on the throne and knew that to cross him was to cross God. Knowing that David was hungry and needed food, her immediate response was to gather up a big feast for him and his men and run to meet them, before he came to seek vengeance on all that was in her house. What she brought to the table and the way she brought it pleased David. He heard her counsel and refrained himself from doing something that he might regret. Who’s to say that the same would have transpired if she had brought nothing, but the reality is, a good meal granted her audience with the future king, and gave opportunity for counsel, guidance, and a moment to minister. There is no virtue in food, like all things in this world, it is temporal. However, as with many things in this world, it can be used as a resource for the ministry. As a dear brother once said to me: “Brother, I think one of the biggest resources we have to minister with is this right here (as he pointed at the table).” The kitchen table in the American home is a valuable resource to advance God’s kingdom. Growing up, we ate a home cooked meal almost every night. Day after day I watched my mother prepare, cook, and serve us. It took work, sacrifice, and dedication. When the table was set, we would all come stop what we were doing to gather around the table. Then, we said the blessing. Day after day, week after week, year after year; we thanked God as a family for what we had. We discussed what had been, what was, and prepared for what was to come, as a family. I can still remember saying my Sunday school verse again on Sunday afternoon at the kitchen table (and I can still say those verses), I can remember discussing the Sunday sermon, I can remember watching my dad ignore phone calls from work. Dinner time was just dinner time for a child, but now looking back, it was a classroom, a sanctuary, and pillar of my childhood.
The opportunity to minister and the tools to do it is right in your home. The battle for America is not at the White House, it is in your house. As it is in mine. We can gain the audience of those we want to reach, and we have the tools to do it with. How often is this opportunity squandered away with television, streaming service, iPhone, etc.? What can television teach us about God? What can the iPhone do for fellowship? The world can only have as much influence in our homes as we allow. We commission pastors, laymen, preachers, Sunday school teachers to educate our youth about God and Jesus, but honestly, what better teaching agent is there than the American home? What better educators than a sanctified Husband and Wife? What better venue than a good meal?
