The king was heartbroken. How could they not come when he had already prepared everything for a grand celebration? There was much food for the reception - what would be done with it? Perhaps, believing that the first set of servants might not have been persuasive enough, he sent yet another set of servants; but, this time, the specially invited guests treated them badly and even murdered them. Word got back to the king, who was furious. He realized that those invited guests were unworthy of his invitation. In retaliation, he then sent his armies who destroyed all those murderers.

I experienced real depression some years ago when all I wanted to do was just to lie in bed and just be lazy. It was painful to dress for work, to smile, to concentrate on other things except myself; I was just going through the motions. I was not physically ill, nor was I suffering from the burnt-out syndrome. It was not physical tiredness or exhaustion. I allowed the crucibles I was facing to almost get the better of me.

Let us rebuild our family altars. In the morning when we rise, let our praise ascend heavenward in thanksgiving to our God. Let us keep Him with us throughout the day. And in the evening, let us turn off our electronics in favor of spending quality time, in thanksgiving to our God. When we spend time to call on God, He promised to hear and to answer. Needless to say, He delights to spend time with us. Let’s do the wise thing – repair the Lord’s altar.