Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’  18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’  19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’  20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’  21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’  22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’  23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.  24  For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.'”  Luke 14:16-24 NKJV

Irresponsible people, not only, have a tendency to make excuses for their failures; but they also make excuses to avoid responding to God’s call. If you’re making excuses to avoid responding to the call of God or doing His will, the time will come when God will rescind His invitation and offer it to others. 

“Come, for all things are now ready” (verse 17). God’s time for us to enjoy His “great supper” has been fulfilled through Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God and the Gospel message. All these things are now ready and waiting for us to accept God’s invitation. And, God will not accept excuses for not doing His will and receiving His Word (Mk. 1:15; Jn. 7:37; Rev. 3:20).

When we allow our possessions, our business, occupations and jobs, and pleasures to become convenient excuses for not responding affirmatively to God’s call and His will—His priorities–for our life, we are rejecting God. Making such excuses is not only a rejection of God, but also a rebuff of His knowledge and will for us receiving the “Bread of life” (Hos. 4:6; John 1:11-12; Acts 18:5-6).  The time will come when God will pull His invitation to excuse-makers. For example, notwithstanding King Saul’s excuses, God took the kingdom from him and gave it to David (1 Sam. 15:25-28).

Regardless of how good our excuses sound, God’s invitation is more important, no matter how inconveniently it may be timed. A “good” excuse can only be forsaking one priority to perform a much higher God-given priority (Matt. 6:33).