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Reading - God's Provision (Isaiah 55)
Although they are in the Old Testament these verses are clearly for "everyone" as verse 1 shows us, "Come, all you who are thirsty." The prophet is trying to get our attention, to explain how we can find God and maybe help us understand why, in our present circumstances, we are not aware of Him in the measure we would like.
The key to all is that we thirst or, indeed, as Matthew relates Jesus saying, hunger and thirst (Matt.5:6). To such is the promise that "they will be filled"; to such is the promise of the presence of God. There have been few times in my life when I have been really thirsty but at such times those feelings were the predominant motivation - where could I get a drink to quench my thirst. This, Isaiah tells me, is the way I should be acting towards the Lord.
He should be my motivation; He should be the one whom I am seeking with all my being. However, this is not always an easy position to come to because of the distractions we see around us, but these verses help us to put things into perspective.
First we are to ask ourselves the question - why bother with that which does not satisfy (v.2). We are to weigh up the things that at present we seek and thirst after - do they satisfy? Some may do for a time but how about forever? Jesus told the Samaritan woman:
"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14)
Earlier the prophet compares God's provision with a banquet, "a feast of rich foods for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines". (Isaiah 25:6)
Next we are to tune into the Lord and, "listen carefully" or it is also said to "incline your ear" (v.3). As we do this we do get things into perspective and we see that, even though sometimes there are difficulties and sometimes temptations to lead us another way, our Lord is the only one to have words of eternal life. As we listen carefully to what He says rather than what the world says then we are drawn towards Him and His perfect way for us (v.5).
This becomes the central part of this chapter, God's ways are not our ways neither are the thoughts of God our thoughts (v.v.8-9). If we apply humanistic teaching and standards to our lives we are not being involved with God's ways - it is as simple as that. Seek Him and keep on seeking Him until we are moving in His ways and considering things with His thoughts.
It is amazing even when we are seeking the living God and His ways how we can restrict what He will do in our thinking, yet God's word always accomplishes what God desires (v.11). Abraham and Sarah thought it impossible to have children so they worked it out humanly Gen.16:1-4). When Jesus asked the disciples to give the 4,000 something to eat - they immediately wondered where they could buy food (Mark 8:1-4). Is that the way we think, with humanistic understanding and planning? May the Lord enable us to think with his supernatural thoughts and not seek to bring God down to our level.
Thirst - see - find Him.