Invitation to the Thirsty

Isaiah 55 (NIV)

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.

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. declares the Lord.

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the Lord's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.

SIP AND SAVOR by Carole Mayhall ( a comment on Is 55:1-2)

This Scripture exhorts the thirsty to do three things: come, buy and eat. We don't need any money to "buy", so all we have to do is "come" and ask for the two things mentioned here- wine and milk. But why specifically wine and milk?

A glimmer began to grow into the light of understanding. Milk represents what we need for health, for life, for sustenance- the needs of life. On the other hand, wine is used in Scripture for celebrations, feasts, joy and (so it seems to me) not for what we need to have but what we want to have- the extras desires in life.

As a mother, I was obligated to meet my daughter's needs. But what a joy it was when I could delighter heart by giving her some of the fun stuff too-surprises, a few things I knew she wanted, extras-just for pure pleasure.

Our Father's giving is like that-only much, much more! He is the perfect parent, and in this passage he declares that he wants to supply both our needs and our wants- what we need for health and what is for pure joy. God does indeed delight to delight each of us.

Oh, he isn't going to give us what he knows will harm us-even if we ask for it. He won't give us what would spoil us or indulge our flesh. But, as the God who knows all things, who does all things well, who is an all-loving Father, he longs for us to ask him for everything -for "daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) certainly and whatever will meet our needs. But he also asks that we ask for the extra serendipities that he takes great pleasure in giving us as well.

Now, I get excited about that!

copied from Women's Devotional Bible 2