TUESDAY

SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 55:1-13

Who has not relished the sense of relief and satisfaction that comes from drinking cool, fresh water on a hot day, or after a period of exertion that leaves you longing for refreshment? Satisfying thirst is a powerful metaphor used in Scripture to describe what we are invited to experience as we respond to God’s invitation. We sipped a bit of this yesterday as we listened to the words of Jesus in Matthew 6. Today, we hear the same invitation in the words of Isaiah 55, which echoes the same sentiments. Freedom from anxiety. An invitation to come and buy without cost, and accept the graciousness extended. Take a few moments to enjoy moving through the chapter, hearing the words not just with your head, but with your heart. If you are sensing a bit of thirst today, there is much here that you may find satisfying!

• The opening verses of this chapter resound with invitation and generosity. To what extent do you sense God speaking to you in a similar way? What do you sense is on the heart of God as you listen to them?

• What kinds of things do you find yourself investing in (“spending your money” in verse 2) that are not “bread” or things that don’t ultimately satisfy? Why do you sense that they have the attraction that they do?

• In what ways do you sense that God’s thoughts are not your thoughts, nor God’s ways your ways (verse 8)? What change in thinking is God inviting us to embrace?

• How does this passage describe the consequences of accepting the invitation offered and allowing it to shape our lives? How do you find yourself responding to that?

Take a few moments to share with God in prayer what is on your heart as you reflect on the words of invitation in the passage and your own response to them.