All Who Are Thirsty, Come

All Who Are Thirsty, Come

Isaiah 55:1-13

Introduction

“To hunger and thirst for God is at the very root of our being. It’s the way God made us. When there is no hunger for the presence of God, it is an indicator that something is wrong spiritually.” - Dave Butts

Scripture is filled with the truth that we are to find the satisfaction of our spiritual thirst in God.

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Three times in John’s Gospel Jesus calls to the Thirsty:

John 4:14 "whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 6:35 “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

John 7:37-38 ...Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

In our text today we hear from the prophet Isaiah. Many believe this is a message for those in exile who are returning to Jerusalem. They had experienced significant losses. In the hands of their enemies there was no hope. But God doesn’t give up and gives them a message of invitation.

Isaiah 55 is God’s open invitation to the beaten up, discouraged, broken, hurting humanity. It’s a message for those who’ve come through the mud and dirt of a long messy journey through life. We should all hear God calling to us in this text!

1. What God Knows About Us (Isaiah 55:1-6)

We have significant needs. (1 “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.)

Thirsty, poor, hungry people are called toward Him.

“When you have nothing left but God, you become aware that God is enough.”? Maude Royden.

Whether physically or spiritually, the needy are wanted and welcomed.

We live with significant frustration (2 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 you will delight in the richest of fare.)

Unfilled, unsatisfied, unable to take another step. If anyone ever felt that life was too big a mess for God to accept them, take heart… God built his Kingdom for you and calls everyone to come.

We need significant help (3 Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.)

God knows that we need Him and encourages us to listen to him: So we will live. So we will establish covenant relationship with Him. So we will experience His faithful love. These are spiritual necessities we cannot provide on our own.

We are offered significant love (4-5 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples. 5 Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”)

Last line: “He has endowed you with splendor”. After everything God knows about us, He loves us.

We are given a significant invitation (6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.)

God is outreaching to Israel, even after their continual rejection that landed them in captivity. God is reaching out to us no less…no matter what rejections or failings we have experienced. What are you doing to seek God in your life?

2. Are You Thirsty for God? (Isaiah 55:7-11)

Are We Thirsty for Mercy? (7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.)

Israel’s sin led them down dark roads of captivity and loss. Where has your sin led you? Do we blame God? Mercy is for those who need it - a withholding of what we deserve because of our sin. Isaiah instructs to leave behind old sinful ways and thoughts and turn to God!

Are We Thirsty for Wisdom? (8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.)

The more we follow our hearts, more we get into trouble. We need the insight of One who is greater than us - who Created us - who Loves us! This is why He gives us instructions / His Word! God sees a much bigger picture than we do. Psalm 139:17-18 "How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you."?