Isaiah 55
Is the life that we are being called to as Christians one of everlasting drudgery? We know that this cannot be the case, but perhaps we suspect that we get drudgery now and then something better later. There is something to this. We have to recognize that the life before us is a life with suffering, and that this suffering will one day be over. Still the Lord has large resources of joy even now for those who fear Him and will ask Him for what they need. The answer for us is in Him. If we will desire Him as our greatest delight, He will satisfy our longing hearts.
Are you thirsty for Him? If so, come to the waters. It will not cost you money, but it will require an open ear. The food and drink that the Lord has for His waiting people is in His Word. That is why He says, “Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good.” This Word comes from One who Isaiah calls “David.” He is referring to King David, but David is long gone by the time Isaiah writes these words. God had promised David that one of his descendants would be on the throne of an everlasting kingdom forever and ever. It is this descendant who came to us when the Word of God was made flesh, and dwelt among us. This “David” now lives and reigns forever. Through Jesus, the Son of David, the Word of God is preached by ambassadors, and the thirsty and hungry people of God gather and are satisfied with heavenly food.
The joy that comes from hearing this message depends on a number of things. First, if the human ambassador, the servant of the Word who is the one used by God to bring this message to you is not rightly dividing the word of truth, then the hearer can still hear the word read, but he does not have the benefit of a helper who will bring more of the understanding of God’s word to light. But this is not the only problem. The hearer also has a duty. The worshiper of the Lord must be seeking the Lord, repenting of sin, and returning to the Lord moment by moment if he would experience the pardoning grace of God through the ministry of gospel preaching.
But for the one who would humble himself and listen to God, the amazing miracle is that the power of God will come from heaven. God has thoughts that our not our thoughts, and He will speak to us. God has ways of doing things that are not our ways, and He can help us. The difference between God and us is not an insignificant matter. Can we climb to the heavens from the earth? God’s thoughts and ways are higher than the heavens. He lowers himself through the means of a human ministry to first produce His holy word in written form and then by means of human preachers to explain His Word. When this happens, and it can only happen by the Spirit of God working through a weak human speaker and hearer, then God really speaks to men, and men really hear the voice of God. God is great. He can do this.
Not only can He do this, but He has promised that He will do this. He sends His word like rain from heaven upon a dry and weary land. When the rain falls on the right soil it will bring forth a great result that will be delicious to eat and will cause the body to grow. When His word leaves His mouth, it will not come back to Him empty. It will have its intended impact. God has a purpose in sending it out, and He will accomplish that purpose. This is a great encouragement both to weak ministers and weak hearers. God knows our weakness one and all and has determined to override it because of the important purposes of His grace. For the glory of His name, and by the power of His Spirit, He will accomplish everything with His Word that He intends to do.
The end of all of this is not drudgery, it is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you are a child of God, then surely you have tasted this at some point. You have tasted the joy of the preaching of Christ and the resurrection. You have known that the blood of this one Lamb took away the guilt and shame of your sin. You have heard and believed the good report of the glory of God in the salvation of sinners, and you have embraced this message and the Man of God’s choosing as your only comfort in life and death.
It is necessary that we remind ourselves of the connection between the fulfillment of the promises of God in the future and the experience of joy that we can have today. That connection comes through drinking and eating the soul-healing and soul-feeding Word of the Lord. We hear the truth and believe. We yield ourselves to it and experience it. This is today’s miracle for you, that through the Word you can know joy as you believe in the promises of God which are perfectly secure for you in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
posted by Pastor Magee @ 7:00 AM
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