July 31 - Isaiah 55:1-5

July 31 – Isaiah 55:1-5

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”

This chapter of Isaiah is one of my favorite chapters in all of scripture.  The words that He speaks to the people of Israel and to each of us are filled with comfort, with challenge and with power.

Jesus, in speaking to the Samaritan woman fleshes out these words in John 4:3-42.

“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (John 4:10)

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)

God offers us living water.  We are parched, we are dry, we live in the desert yearning for more than what we have surrounding us.  Why do we spend money on things that won’t satisfy us and work for that which will bring momentary enjoyment?

God tells us to listen to Him and eat what is good.  Keep reading, though.  “…eat what is good and your soul will delight in the richest of fare  … that your soul may live!”

That your soul may live.  God is so much more concerned with our soul than our body, yet He cares for our bodies so that we can continue to tend to our souls.  I do find it fascinating, though, to see people whose bodies are a complete mess, tending their souls with great care.  It is in those times that they manage to find just how close God can be.

God invites us to come and freely take the water that is offered to us, living water that refreshes us and sates our thirst.

Jesus tells us that this water will spring up from us.  In Isaiah, God assures His people that nations will come to them because of the fact that He brings them splendor.

As we fill our souls with the nourishment that comes from God, the world will notice and will give Him glory!