Dear Friends
Isaiah 55 verses 1 – 3
1Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labour for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labour for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
Ho, everyone who thirsts! What are you thirsty for? An end to all the restrictions? Something cheerful being reported on the Ten o’clock news? Being able to sing in church? Or just a good strong cup of tea?!
If you were thinking a bit bigger, what might your answer be? Enough food for children in Britain not to be hungry? The removal of the Corona virus from refugee camps? More temperate, less extremist world leaders? A solution to the melting of the permafrost in Siberia?
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! These waters are the flowing waters of the Holy Spirit, inspiring our hearts and filling our lives. Refreshing. Enlivening. Transforming. And if enough of us are thirsty for the sort of drink that God offers then refugee camps would be a thing of the past and icebergs would stop melting, because we would be able to change our priorities and our lifestyles enough to make it happen. But as Isaiah said Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? The truth is that we, poor fallen human beings that we are, are not able to make these wise choices. A bag of crisps is often so much more attractive than a bowl of porridge. We seem to be working under increasingly greater pressures to meet increasingly more rigorous deadlines and humanity is achieving increasingly less of any real value.
Turn the question on its head and wonder what God is thirsty for. Isaiah gives us the answer, Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. Isaiah is suggesting that God never gives up on human beings and has a way of redeeming our failing efforts to make something extraordinary happen. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
So have a listen! Carefully. And see what the Holy Spirit is saying to you, and delight yourselves in the rich opportunities that come your way. Or is it just simpler to focus on that good strong cup of tea?
A prayer
Come, all who are thirsty
says Jesus, our Lord,
come, all who are weak,
taste the living water
that I shall give.
Dip your hands in the stream,
refresh body and soul,
drink from it,
depend on it,
for this water
will never run dry.
Come, all who are thirsty
says Jesus, our Lord.
says Jesus, our Lord,
come, all who are weak,
taste the living water
that I shall give.
Dip your hands in the stream,
refresh body and soul,
drink from it,
depend on it,
for this water
will never run dry.
Come, all who are thirsty
says Jesus, our Lord.
Here is a painting entitled ‘Pentecost’ by Emil Nolde a Danish painter who worked in the first half of the last century. See what you make of it.
Every blessing
Andrew