The Giver of the Royal Invitation: “Come Unto Me.”

The following is taken from The Royal Invitation, a new online devotional available at the BLB. The Royal Invitation is one of five books contained in a collection written by Frances Ridley Havergal in the 1880s. This book embraces the many requests from God’s word for us to ‘come’ to Him.

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When Jesus said to the disciples “Come follow Me,” it was a royal invitation of His kingly love, which He offers to us even now. Indulge your heart with this wonderfully-composed devotional that will bless your soul and elicit praises for our King of kings.

“Come unto Me…”

This is the Royal Invitation for it is given by the King of kings. We are so familiar with the words, that we fail to realize them. May the Holy Spirit open our ears to hear the voice (Jhn 10:27) of our King in them that they may reach our souls with imperative power.

“Lord, to whom shall we go?” Not “to what shall we go.”

For the human heart (Jhn 6:58) within us craves a personal, living rest and refuge. No doctrines, however true; no systems, however perfect; nothing mental, moral, or spiritual, will do as the answer to this question of every soul that is not absolutely dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). As surely as you and I are persons, individualities, real separate existences, so surely must we have a Person, no less real and individual, to whom to go in our more or less conscious need of salvation. And so the great word of Invitation, Royal and Divine, is given to us, “Come unto ME!”

“Unto Me.”

Just think what that one word means! Seek out all the great and wonderful titles of Christ (Isa 9:6) for yourself, and write after each one-“And He says, Come unto Me!” Unto Me, “the mighty God,” nothing less than that! “Mighty to save” and “ready to save me.”

Then seek out all the exquisitely winning beauties of the character and words and ways of Him who went about doing good (Act 10:38), till you “have heard Him and observed Him.” All through those years of patient and perfect ministry, and recollect all the time that it is He who says to you, “Come unto Me!” Unto Him, the man Christ Jesus (1Ti 2:5), full of compassion, and tender yet royal grace.

Then look at the great central scene of the universe—the central moment not of a world’s history only, but of eternity—look at the Saviour, who His own self bore our sins (1Pe 2:24) in His own body on the tree, bowing His bleeding head under that awful burden, because His faithfulness was unto the death, and His love was strong as death! “Behold your God,” and “Behold the Man” (Jhn 19:5), who loved you and gave Himself for you; hear His own touching call, “I said, Behold Me, behold Me!” Look away from all the “other things” (Mar 4:19), look at the Crucified One, and as you gaze remember that He says, “Come unto Me!”

Is it nothing to you, (Lam 1:12) all ye that pass by, that both from the depth of sorrow, and from the height of glory this Royal Invitation comes to you?

For it is the call not only of Jesus Crucified, but of Jesus Reigning and Jesus Coming. “See that ye refuse (Hbr 12:25) not Him that speaketh” for He is coming (Rev 1:7) to judge the living and the dead. He is reigning now, and there are no neutrals in His kingdom. All are either willing and loyal subjects, or actual rebels—those who have obeyed the King’s call, and come, and those who have “made light (Mat 22:5) of it” and not come.

Which are you?

Think of the day when the great white throne is set, and when the Son of man shall come in His glory; when all will be gathered before Him, and He shall separate (Mat 25:32) them one from another, and know that it is this same Jesus who now says to you, “Come unto Me! “

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come!