Isa 55:1

Isa 55:1  Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Isaiah 55 is an invitation to everyone to come to the LORD (v.1). God calls on those who are thirsty to come to the waters. If that invitation sounded familiar, it is because our Lord made the same call to the thirsty in John 7:37: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” Only those who thirst will come to the waters. If we aren’t thirsty for what the LORD can give us, then we will never come to His waters. The Bible ends with this same great invitation to the world: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). God invites everyone who is thirsty to come and drink. And, the best part is, it is free. Yes, no money never mind, just come (v.1). He then points out that people are wasting their time and money on things that do not satisfy: “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy?” (v.2, ESV). Obviously, God is talking about spiritual sustenance and not the physical food. Christ said about His meat: “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34). He also calls on us not to labour for the meat which does not satisfy: “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you” (John 6:27). We love free food. Yet, when God offers free drinks and bread, why is it many are not queuing up for them? The simple reason is, they do not have the hunger and thirst for spiritual things. They would rather spend their time and energy on things that do not satisfy, that bring temporary happiness. Which is the reason our Lord says: “Labour not for the meat which perisheth” (John 6:27a). What does it tell us? 1. Material things don’t last. Our new things will decay and we have to spend money to buy new. 2. Material happiness doesn’t last. The thrill and pleasure derive from having a new thing will wear out. In the same manner, our stomachs are filled for a while; after a few hours, they need to be replenished. We are exhorted to labour for the “meat which endureth unto everlasting life.” That spiritual labour has an eternal reward. Peter describes that reward in these most beautiful words: “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). The picture is a beautiful rose that stays fresh and beautiful eternally; it doesn’t wither. Do we have the hunger and thirst for righteousness? If we feel we are spiritually barren, it is because we are not hungry for spiritual food. Christ promised us that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). We need to take stock of our lives if we have been working too hard for the physical food to the neglect of the spiritual. Isaiah 55:1 calls on us to come to the water of life. Christ made the same call in John 7:37. The apostle John says: “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:17). This world will pass away. The things that we have accumulated will perish. Only those who do the will of God will abide forever. Let us labour for the meat which endures unto everlasting life.