Friday, September 5, 2008

Christ's Invitation to the Thirsty

I simply LOVE the latter part of Isaiah!! And one of my favorite chapters in that book, as well as in the Old Testament, is chapter 55. It is such a beautiful psalm, full of God's mercy, power, forgiveness, and wisdom. Today I noticed a parallel between verse 1 and some of the Beatitudes (which our Pastor has been preaching through lately).

"Ho, everyone that thirsteth..."
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness..."

"...come ye to the waters..."
"...for they shall be filled."

"...and he that hath no money..."
"Blessed are the poor in spirit..."

"...come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."
"...for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus offers salvation to those who recognize their total inadequacy and poverty of spirit, and satisfies those who thirst for His presence and His Word, who hunger for the Bread of Life. He calls us to leave off striving for that which does not satisfy, to turn from our own way, and to seek Him and "hearken diligently" unto Him. When a soul seeks for Him with his whole heart, He will be found. When he comes to Christ for fulfilment, he will have it-- "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).


D.L. Moody put it well when he said, "God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves." God desires us to be emptied of ourselves, to realize the spiritual poverty of our hearts, and to drink freely of the Living Waters that He offers us through His Son!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

O let all that thirst
Let them come to the water.
And let all who have nothing,
Let them come to the Lord
Without money, without price:
Why should you pay the price
except for the Lord?