Seek The Lord

Hearing the Word should make a difference in all those who receive it.  God said this in Isaiah 55:1-11:

“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;

And you who have no money come, buy and eat.

Come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without cost.

“Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And delight yourself in abundance.

“Incline your ear and come to Me.

Listen, that you may live;

And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

According to the faithful mercies shown to David.

“Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples,

A leader and commander for the peoples.

“Behold, you will call a nation you do not know,

And a nation which knows you not will run to you,

Because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel;

For He has glorified you.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found;

Call upon Him while He is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way

And the unrighteous man his thoughts;

And let him return to the Lord,

And He will have compassion on him,

And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways

And My thoughts than your thoughts.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

And do not return there without watering the earth

And making it bear and sprout,

And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;

It will not return to Me empty,

Without accomplishing what I desire,

And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

There are great blessings for those who seek the Lord.  God wants everyone to come to Him for the nourishment that only He can provide, not the food you eat that costs you money, but the food that cost you nothing that will last a lifetime, nourishing the soul.  This food will keep you from starving spiritually, like physical food keeps you from striving physically.  

Because of His love and forgiveness, God was willing to renew His covenant with His people, even after they broke God’s covenant and worshiped idols which God commanded them not to do.  Isaiah tells them, and us, to seek God while He may be found; not to wait, or hesitate, even if we have sinned against Him.  Don’t wait until you have run so far in the other direction that you think you cannot return, making it more difficult through the hardness of your heart.  It seems the Israelites, just like us, think we have God all figured out trying to make God into something we think and want Him to be, but that is just foolishness on our part; we have to fit into His plans and not expect Him to fit into our plans.

Jesus said this in the New Testament in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

God wanted the rebellious Israelites to come to Him and find forgiveness for their sins and nourishment for their souls in the Old Testament, just like in the New Testament, Jesus is calling people who may be burdened with sin, the excessive demands of religious leaders, those going through oppression and persecution or those who may be weary in the search for God.  Jesus wanted them to rest in Him.  If you find yourself in any of these situations, or any other problems that are weighing you down, come to Jesus and give them to Him and let Him give you rest from all your heavy burdens, because He cares for you.  Jesus loves you and is more willing to take your burden than you are to give it to Him.  Something to think about, God bless and have a great day!!