God's Invitation To Us

Isaiah 55:1-11

On many a summer day in the past, my children and I have gone to open-air fairs, frequently historically themed fairs.  There are often food vendors there who call out to the folks walking by, beckoning them to come and buy their food or drink.  If you are hot and thirsty, their calls are enticing.  How lucky you might be if they are offering their food and drink free of charge!  And it’s even better if theirs is the best quality!  In that case it wouldn’t make sense to spend your money going to someone else and paying for something that isn’t even nearly as good.  Our Scripture passage today gives a similar scenario.  Today we read from Isaiah an invitation from the Lord.  Will people accept it, or will they turn to a poor substitute?

We all get physically hungry and thirsty everyday, and both want and need good healthy food.  We also, each of us, get spiritually hungry and thirsty, too.  How do we satisfy that need?  With physical hunger and thirst we would hopefully select good, wholesome, and nutritious food.  Eating a diet of only junk food will make a person overweight and sickly.  The choice of where and how we satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst is even more important, yet too many people are more careless with that decision.  The Lord God gives us an invitation to come to Him to satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst (vs. 1-2).

Salvation is for everyone who is willing to come.  The invitation here in Isaiah is to everyone.  It is not just for any one group.  It is not for just one nationality or race, not just for the rich or elite.  God even says that we can come if we have no money.  Salvation cannot be bought.  It is free because of Jesus’ redemptive work.  Jesus gives us the Bread of Life (John 6:32-35). It is not for sale, and cannot be bought, no matter what is offered in payment.  Here we have an open table filled with all that we could ever need for our spiritual hunger, and it is free for any who would come.  However so many turn to hundreds of other tables filled with poison cooking that brings eternal death.  They follow false religions and philosophies that bring damnation, and often pay for it by performing all sorts of religious rituals, rules, and regulations.  God pleads with us, asking why would we pay for something that is not really food, nor will it satisfy, when we can have what is good, and freely provided for us?

Salvation is available to those who seek the Lord, and who call upon Him (vs. 6-7).  It is accompanied by repentance and forsaking sinful ways.  Don’t wait until you have drifted far away from God to see Him. It is often more difficult to turn to Him the older one becomes.  Also one may die unexpectedly, or Jesus may return, and then it is too late.  Seek Him now, while you can, before it is too late.

This call to seek God isn’t only referring to seeking Him for salvation, though that would be the primary call.  When we, as Christians, have problems and need answers, to whom do we turn to?  Do we rush immediately to family, friends, or a therapist?  Or do we seek God first?  Getting godly counsel from qualified people is not wrong, but are they the first ones we run to, or do we first seek God?  And throughout our day, are we seeking Him?  Do we really desire God?  We should be seeking Him daily, diligently, and continually.

Isaiah continues on in our passage, speaking for the Lord, as He tells us that our thoughts and His are not the same (vs. 8-9).  How often do we get puffed up, thinking that our opinions, thoughts, and ways are the same as God’s, and thus, everyone should be listening and following us.  As God says here, there is a vast difference between our thoughts and God’s thoughts.  Our ways are not like His ways.  We have limited insight.  We are so often short-sighted.  God is beyond human comprehension.

As the prophet concludes our passage, we have the promise of God in verses 10-11 that, just as water and rain accomplish their purpose of watering the earth, God’s Word will accomplish its purpose, that of the salvation of souls (Hebrews 4:12).

God desires that we come, listen, seek, and call upon Him.  His salvation is freely offered, but it only benefits those who receive it.  I urge you all to seek the Lord, call upon Him.  Come to Him, just as you are.