Isaiah 55

I’ve been reading through the Gospels. This morning a cross-reference in John 7 sent me to Isaiah 55. One verse in particular struck me, but the whole chapter is so awesome, I’m putting it all here for you to read. Check out these promises of mercy and blessing!

“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.”

– Isaiah 55 (NIV)

How cool is that? This passage contains so many wonderous truths, we could meditate on it for days. That said, I want to focus on the second verse, the one that really grabbed me by the ear.

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.

How often do we expel our resources on things that don’t matter? Our time, our money, our thoughts, our energies … are these devoted to bread, the Bread of Life? Or are we spending them on trivial matters? Eugene Peterson paraphrased this verse with a little more color (and a little more sugar). He asks: “Why do you spend all your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?” (The Message)

God is good for us. His Word brings us life! But too often we prefer the junk food to what is truly best for us. We’re working hard to obtain that which will destroy us rather than that which will strengthen us and build us up to glory.

When we continue through the chapter, we learn His Word never comes back void. He promises that His Word will always, consistently, every single time benefit us. And He never breaks His promises. As a result even the mountains and trees will celebrate for us and the blessings we receive.