Front Row Seating

A few years ago, my husband and I spent a couple of days at a lovely beach resort in the Florida panhandle. From our balcony on our first morning there, we watched a young man set out about sixty beach chairs and umbrellas near the water’s edge. We could tell he had done this many times before, as he clearly had a system for setting up the chairs as quickly as possible in three neat rows. We decided to rent two beach chairs, but were disappointed when we inquired about the price and availability. The “front row” chairs were extremely pricey and had already been rented for the duration of our trip. “Second row” chairs were a little cheaper but also unavailable. We had to settle for the available, but still costly “third row” chairs. They were perfectly comfy, but our view of the ocean was obstructed by those lucky enough to snag first or second-row chairs. We eventually laughed, calling ourselves part of the “third-class” crowd. We also laughed that people, including us, were willing to pay exorbitant prices to enjoy tiny strips of beach.

When we spend time with God, we are never part of the “third-class” crowd. Whether we read our Bibles, pray, or worship, we are guaranteed premium seating with our Heavenly Father. When you spend time with Him, you are His priority, and He listens intently as if you were the only person in the world. Psalm 116:2a (NLT) tells us that God even “bends down to listen.” He wants to hear what we have to say and hear the praises we sing. God is the one who paid the exorbitant price when He sent His Son, Jesus, so that you can enjoy sweet communion with Him. The Almighty loves you and wants to spend time with you. He will always have a front row seat reserved just for you.