Eating Well

Good morning!

I am thankful for Isaiah 55.  It speaks of the abundant, joyful life the Jesus-follower can have because of God's mercy.  We'll spend time in the first five verses today.

Verses 1-5 contain an invitation to all who hunger and thirst for God.

“Hey there! All who are thirsty,
    come to the water!
Are you penniless?
    Come anyway—buy and eat!
Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk.
    Buy without money—everything’s free!
Why do you spend your money on junk food,
    your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?
Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best,
    fill yourself with only the finest.
Pay attention, come close now,
    listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.
I’m making a lasting covenant commitment with you,
    the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love.
I set him up as a witness to the nations,
    made him a prince and leader of the nations,
And now I’m doing it to you:
    You’ll summon nations you’ve never heard of,
and nations who’ve never heard of you
    will come running to you
Because of me, your God,
    because The Holy of Israel has honored you.”

If you have ever raised a child, you know that they love to eat "junk food".  Our culture is permeated with it!  At our house, I always strived to put nutritious, balanced meals on the table.  But, inevitably, due to harried schedules, a multitude of activities, etc., we would at times eat a "junk food" meal. Snacking is a "whole 'nuther" pitfall of nutritional peril!  Even if a parent has raised his/her children on nutritionally sound food, one taste of junk food and off they go.  The salt-laden, sugar-laden, calorie-laden, nutritionally-bankrupt food can corrupt even the healthiest of eaters.

Spiritually, we tend to do the same.  Our culture tempts us with philosophical junk food.  If we nourish our souls on that diet, our souls will become malnourished, unhealthy, wandering far from the truth of God.  By contrast, God invites us, pleads with us, to feed our souls only the very best - - - His "life-giving, life-nourishing words". And, best of all, His spiritual food is FREE!

In America, if you "eat well", consume the healthiest of foods, you will pay more for them. Preparing healthy food also "costs" more, in terms of time.  Not so with God's spiritual food!  

We don't have to pay a thing for God's salvation, because Jesus Christ paid for it on our behalf.

(Isn't that worth shouting about this morning?)

To those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness", Jesus promises in Matthew 5:6 that "they will be filled".  The Message puts the 2nd half of that verse like this:

"It's the best meal you'll ever eat!"

Here in Isaiah 55, God promises that those who accept His salvation will have abundant life. What does that life look like?  We are told in verses 4-5.  God refers to the covenant He made with David and how David became a prince and leader of nations.  God makes that same offer to us!

When we embrace God's abundant life for us, which starts with our accepting His Son as our Savior, we can then go on to fulfill His purposes for each of our lives.  We may not end up ruling nations in our lifetime, but He promises to honor our faithfulness (vs. 5) and make our lives a beautiful offering to Him.  People will be astounded at what He does through us.

"The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully consecrated to Him."

Dwight L. Moody, a famous evangelist of 19th century America, used to repeat these words that he first heard spoken by another 19th century evangelist, Henry Varley, while Moody was a young man visiting Dublin, Ireland.  Jesus was the only God-Man who exemplified that; He is our model.  But, upon hearing Varley's challenge, Moody determined that he would be that man.  Moody then went on to become one of America's greatest evangelists, and won many, many souls to Jesus Christ.  He was the "Billy Graham" of his day.  D.L. Moody, a former shoe salesman, won people to Christ from many nations; and, nations who had never heard of him came running to him because of his God (Isaiah 55:5).  More of Moody's story can be found here:  http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biomoody4.html

Oh, reader....what are you eating today?  Are you feasting on God's Holy Word, the Bible, as often as you can?  Jesus said, "My words are spirit and they are life!"  (John 6:63)  He also called Himself "the Bread of Life".  I pray that you are eating well.   It is vital to feed your soul well if you want to walk...resplendent!

Dear Merciful Father, thank you for providing for all of our needs, both physical and spiritual.  I am so grateful to be able to consume Your living water and the Bread of Life each day.  As you told the Samaritan woman, when she came to draw water from the community well, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks from the water I will give him will never thirst." (John 4:13-14) Hallelujah! And, in the mighty name of Jesus, (make it so!) amen!