“Ho, every one that thirsteth . . .” This universal cry calls out across the year, reaching out to all people in all places at all times. Every one of us has a deep inner longing: a thirst for something bigger than us – a desire to belong and have meaning. Our loving Creator knew this – knew of the desire and thirst we’d have because of our decision to reject Him. And so, in long suffering gracious love, HE calls to everyone who enters to world, “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.”
But too often we pass this wonderful offer by. We seek to satisfy our soul thirst with power, wealth, and ease. We neglect the priceless gift God offers as we burn ourselves out trying to fill ourselves on the false promises around us. We believe the lies the world has to offer, that if we only have a bigger house, a better bank account, important friends, we will be satisfied. Or we’re told to follow our hearts, to do whatever we desire, to fulfill our dreams, and then we will be happy. In the end, as we sink down, exhausted from our vain pursuits, we find ourselves desperate and dry, empty and at the end of our rope. Then, through the heat, the need, the desperate thirst, comes the tender voice of God. “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which h is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live.”
Gently, our Creator pleads with every person, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” It matters not how long we have rejected Him or how far down our own rebellious path we’ve gone. Still, the Lord is calling to us, drawing us to Himself with cords of love. He promises that if we seek Him wholeheartedly, leaving our sinful ways and thoughts, abandoning our inner idols (those things that we have counted more important than God), then He will be found.
The promise doesn’t end there though. It continues, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” As He calls us, God has a wonderful plan for each of us. Our thoughts are so limited: bound to the here and now, to human perception of success. And we seek to achieve these ends by our limited means. But God’s plans transcend the limits of time and includes an eternal value and meaning. He works in us and through us with His infinite power and wisdom to accomplish the ends that are so far beyond anything we could ever imagine. His tender words, calling us to be reconciled with Him; His gentle guiding words, leading us in the paths of righteousness; His firm loving words, bringing us back when we stray – all of His words will accomplish that which He intends.
As He closes His plea, God gives a picturesque description of what the outcome is of seeking Him and embracing His Word. “For ye shall go out with joy, and be lead forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” God’s plan for me and for you involves peace and joy in Him. We were created to have a relationship with God. And as we walk with Him, He will create peace and meaning where one was distress and desolation. Where once our soul was thirsty and desperately longing, when we come to God, our soul will be restored and at rest. This is His desire for us.
Dear friend, is your soul thirsty today? Are you longing for the satisfaction that can only come from a restored relationship with God? Then let me assure you, today is the day that your longing can be satisfied. God doesn’t require us to undergo some makeover before we come to Him. There is no waiting period before He will accept us. He calls us to come to Him today. He calls us to agree with the truth that we have broken His law and by our breaking of His law have made ourselves unfit to be with Him, the holy God who has no sin. He requires us to believe that there is no way for us to be made right with Him, except through the way He has provided: the life and death of His Son, Jesus, as the payment for our sins (the breaking of God’s law). If we believe these truths and call out to God, He will welcome us into a restored relationship with Him. No longer are we rebel enemies toward God: now we are His children.
Or perhaps you have already become the child of God through faith in Jesus, but your soul is longing for a deeper, more intimate relationship with God, your heavenly Father. His call to you is also, “Come.” It is easy for us to get distracted by the message of the world “Please yourself. Do your thing.” But as we follow this foolish advice, our souls grow hungry for the true bread and water. We find ourselves trying to find water in broken pots, rather than drinking from the spring of living water. Dear friend, the remedy is simple: let go of those things that have taken first place from God, and return to the Lord. Let Him be your heart’s deepest desire and let Him guide your priorities.
Regardless of where you find yourself, may you heed the tender pleading of God, “Come unto me. Come ye, buy and eat; yea, come. Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.” Faithful is He who calls us, who will keep His promises.
“And the Spirit and [the believers] 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).
All quotations from Isaiah 55, unless otherwise marked.
Hope in truth 