Isaiah 55:1: “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, / Come to the waters; / And you who have no money, / Come, buy and eat. / Yes, come, buy wine and milk / Without money and without price.”

September 18th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

This passage is addressed to everyone; so it doesn’t matter if you are black or white, yellow or brown, democrat or republican, male or female, this is something that is offered from God to all. Some have called this verse the gospel hidden in the Old Testament. The first step to eternal satisfaction with God is recognizing our own dissatisfaction. To have our thirst satisfied, we must first recognize that we are thirsty. This verse is calling to those who are thirsty and have no money to buy anything to quench that thirst with. God’s salvation can’t be bought for money. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, / For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Isaiah and Jesus are speaking to those who are spiritually bankrupt and destitute.

When you come to terms with the fact that you are spiritually bankrupt, you are coming toward salvation. Salvation and redemption begin with the admission and realization that you are unsaved and a slave. What are you depending on for your future appearance before the throne of God? Jesus is saying, “For you who have nothing to recommend yourself, and for you who have no spiritual resources, come.” A sense of our own spiritual bankruptcy and our own unworthiness starts the process.

There is an old story about a wealthy man who felt his son needed to learn gratefulness, so he sent him to stay with a poor farmer’s family. After a month, the son returned. The father asked, “Now don’t you appreciate what we have?” The boy thought for a moment and said, “Yes, I do, but I learned more than just that. The family I stayed with is actually better off than we are. They take what they’ve planted and enjoy meals together. And they always seem to have time for one another.” That is what Isaiah was pointing to in this chapter; the gift of the grace of God is so infinitely valuable that it has no price tag. We need only acknowledge that our real thirst is for God, ask forgiveness for our sins, and accept the finished work of Christ on the cross. Then we will find spiritual food that satisfies our soul forever.

“LORD, we thirst for more of Your Spirit’s activity in our lives this day, in Jesus’ name.”