Yes, the title of the devotion is a mix between a terrible pun and savory foreshadowing…I make no apologies. Hello family, in Nehemiah 8:9, after reading the law to the people, Nehemiah and company told them to quit mourning, weeping, and go feast, for that day was holy to God. Specifically, they were to eat the fat and drink the sweet wine. This reminds me of a family get-together we had this past New Year where we “ate the fat” and “drank the sweet wine”.
My brother Ben enjoys the pursuit of excellence in the steaks he prepares and my nephew, James, caught that itch when he stayed at their place a while ago. James honed his craft away at college and was eager to show off his particular brand of excellence when he came home for Christmas. My folks decided to double down on his abilities and supplied a prime ribeye steak. For those who don’t know, ribeye is a specific part of the cow and prime is a quality designation, usually meaning it’s top quality and most expensive. Everyone contributed their own best dishes to this New Years’ dinner and it… was… GOOD! We had a veritable feast, the kind you skip breakfast and lunch for. Afterward, we played this game my family has been particularly fascinated with called Chameleon, which provided us with hours of fun. It was a really awesome time, so much so that I’m actually writing a devotion about it.
Nehemiah told the people to break out the good wine and eat the best food. Don’t just eat a bunch of everyday food, go get the best and enjoy it to the max. Break out the secret sauce, get that prime cut, and go back for seconds! God has blessed us with extravagant grace, calling us his own children, but he has also given us things specifically for our delight. It’s good, on occasion, to enjoy the good stuff of life and revel in our Lord’s bounty.
Jonathan Duncan