Isaiah 55
Isaiah 55:1 "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; and you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."
The grace of the Lord is encapsulated in this verse. The saying 'you don't get nothing for free on this earth' does not apply to the grace of God. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
God's gift to us is completely undeserved, however it is offered to us because of His great love for us. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
How do we accept God's gift? By placing our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. By recognising Him as the Son of God who came to take the punishment that you deserved upon the cross. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that "...without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Faith is the only way that we can please the Lord. No works that we do can change our standing with the Lord, only faith.
That begs the question of faith in what? We all place our faith in things every day. A man who sits on a chair places his faith in that chair. He automatically assumes that it will hold his weight. A person on an airplane automatically assumes that the pilot is equipped and able to take off, fly and land the plane safely, even though the person has never met the pilot and probably never will. A skydiver puts his faith in the parachute. A bungee jumper puts his faith in the bungee cord. A window cleaner puts his faith in the ladder. You could go on and on. But the point is that as humans we use our faith every day. Humans are very good at having faith. But having faith in a chair, or a ladder or a pilot is not going to change the problem that we, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and that one day we must all stand before a Holy God to be held accountable for the things we have done here on earth. (Ecclesiastes 12:14). What faith is pleasing to God? What faith is able to reconcile us to the perfect God, despite our imperfections?
Isaiah 55:2 "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance."
Everybody puts their faith in something, but most things that people put their faith in are futile. A man looking for happiness may seek a relationship or family and put His faith in His wife and children. Celebrities put their faith in the accolades they receive from other people, and in themselves. Next time you watch the Oscars or something similar, notice how celebrities interact with each other; they all complement each other on their work and efforts, because they are looking for something, acceptance, happiness, goodness, hope and joy. A rich man puts his faith and seeks happiness in his money. But all these things are fading away. Isaiah 55:2 questions this stupidity that we practice every day. Is asks why we look for satisfaction in things that do not satisfy? Why we spend money on things that in the end fades away along with everything else all the same. 1 John 2:17 states "And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."
Instead, verse 2 instructs us to 'eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.' Verse 3 invites, "come to me. Hear and your soul shall live." For God is calling you and we should answer. Verse 6 states: "Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near." Answer Him now whilst He is speaking to you, for you may not get another chance. Every day people put their faith in the wrong things; things that are constantly changing, but the Lord stays the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His Word and His Promises never fade away. It is faith in Christ Jesus that please God, and only faith in Christ Jesus. John 14:6 states "Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life, nobody comes to the Father but through Me." There is a way for us to alter our standing before the Lord. That way is by faith, and that faith has to be faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
In John 4 the Lord Jesus is talking with a Samaritan woman. The woman asks the Lord how He would get water out of the well if He had nothing to collect the water in (Verse 9-10). Jesus says to the woman "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst, but the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." If we put our hope in earthly things we will never be fully satisfied. We may be happy in it for a while, but it will soon fade away. In comparison putting hope in Christ will always bring satisfaction that lasts. When the Bible tells us to hope on the Lord, the greek word used is 'elpizo' which means 'to expect'. It is not a fleeing hope that something will happen but a firm and confident expectance based on what you know to be true through study of the Word of God and the personal testimony of the Holy Spirit which is inside of you (John 14).
Isaiah 55:7 tells us that he who puts his hope in Christ; "He will have mercy on him... For he will abundantly pardon." Our human minds cannot comprehend God's love for us. We all expect to have to earn somebody's favour. But with the Lord He will forgive you and bless you again and again if you put your faith and trust in Him. No works that you do can affect your standing with the Lord. Only faith in Him. This may seem completely foreign to our way of thinking, but verse 8-9 tells us "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, says the Lord, For as the heavens are higher that the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
Verses 10-13 finish by reassuring us of the blessing and security we will receive if we put our trust in Christ. Unlike things of the world, the Lord's promises never fade away. Verse 13 tells us that God's love will endure forever. The Holy Spirit within you (John 14) and the inward change you feel will be "an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off".
The grace of the Lord is encapsulated in this verse. The saying 'you don't get nothing for free on this earth' does not apply to the grace of God. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
God's gift to us is completely undeserved, however it is offered to us because of His great love for us. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
How do we accept God's gift? By placing our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. By recognising Him as the Son of God who came to take the punishment that you deserved upon the cross. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that "...without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Faith is the only way that we can please the Lord. No works that we do can change our standing with the Lord, only faith.
That begs the question of faith in what? We all place our faith in things every day. A man who sits on a chair places his faith in that chair. He automatically assumes that it will hold his weight. A person on an airplane automatically assumes that the pilot is equipped and able to take off, fly and land the plane safely, even though the person has never met the pilot and probably never will. A skydiver puts his faith in the parachute. A bungee jumper puts his faith in the bungee cord. A window cleaner puts his faith in the ladder. You could go on and on. But the point is that as humans we use our faith every day. Humans are very good at having faith. But having faith in a chair, or a ladder or a pilot is not going to change the problem that we, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and that one day we must all stand before a Holy God to be held accountable for the things we have done here on earth. (Ecclesiastes 12:14). What faith is pleasing to God? What faith is able to reconcile us to the perfect God, despite our imperfections?
Isaiah 55:2 "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance."
Everybody puts their faith in something, but most things that people put their faith in are futile. A man looking for happiness may seek a relationship or family and put His faith in His wife and children. Celebrities put their faith in the accolades they receive from other people, and in themselves. Next time you watch the Oscars or something similar, notice how celebrities interact with each other; they all complement each other on their work and efforts, because they are looking for something, acceptance, happiness, goodness, hope and joy. A rich man puts his faith and seeks happiness in his money. But all these things are fading away. Isaiah 55:2 questions this stupidity that we practice every day. Is asks why we look for satisfaction in things that do not satisfy? Why we spend money on things that in the end fades away along with everything else all the same. 1 John 2:17 states "And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."
Instead, verse 2 instructs us to 'eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.' Verse 3 invites, "come to me. Hear and your soul shall live." For God is calling you and we should answer. Verse 6 states: "Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near." Answer Him now whilst He is speaking to you, for you may not get another chance. Every day people put their faith in the wrong things; things that are constantly changing, but the Lord stays the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His Word and His Promises never fade away. It is faith in Christ Jesus that please God, and only faith in Christ Jesus. John 14:6 states "Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life, nobody comes to the Father but through Me." There is a way for us to alter our standing before the Lord. That way is by faith, and that faith has to be faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
In John 4 the Lord Jesus is talking with a Samaritan woman. The woman asks the Lord how He would get water out of the well if He had nothing to collect the water in (Verse 9-10). Jesus says to the woman "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst, but the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." If we put our hope in earthly things we will never be fully satisfied. We may be happy in it for a while, but it will soon fade away. In comparison putting hope in Christ will always bring satisfaction that lasts. When the Bible tells us to hope on the Lord, the greek word used is 'elpizo' which means 'to expect'. It is not a fleeing hope that something will happen but a firm and confident expectance based on what you know to be true through study of the Word of God and the personal testimony of the Holy Spirit which is inside of you (John 14).
Isaiah 55:7 tells us that he who puts his hope in Christ; "He will have mercy on him... For he will abundantly pardon." Our human minds cannot comprehend God's love for us. We all expect to have to earn somebody's favour. But with the Lord He will forgive you and bless you again and again if you put your faith and trust in Him. No works that you do can affect your standing with the Lord. Only faith in Him. This may seem completely foreign to our way of thinking, but verse 8-9 tells us "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, says the Lord, For as the heavens are higher that the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
Verses 10-13 finish by reassuring us of the blessing and security we will receive if we put our trust in Christ. Unlike things of the world, the Lord's promises never fade away. Verse 13 tells us that God's love will endure forever. The Holy Spirit within you (John 14) and the inward change you feel will be "an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off".
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