Chapter 2 · Encounter 23 of 48
Come to the Waters
Prepare
Through Isaiah, God invites thirsty people to come and receive what they cannot purchase for themselves. The invitation is generous, but it also calls them to reconsider what they have been pursuing.
In Revelation, the risen Christ speaks to a complacent church, confronting its spiritual condition while inviting renewed fellowship.
As you read, notice both the generosity of God's invitation and the response he calls for.
Read Scripture
Open each passage here without leaving this Encounter.
Isaiah 55:1-9
Invitation to the Thirsty
1“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
4See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a ruler and commander of the peoples.
5Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”
6Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Revelation 3:19-22
19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
21To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Ponder
- In Isaiah 55, what does God offer those who come to him, and what does he ask them to leave behind? How does the contrast between what people spend themselves pursuing and what God freely gives reveal his desire for them?
Isaiah 55
Invitation to the Thirsty
1“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
4See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a ruler and commander of the peoples.
5Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”
6Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
13Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
for an everlasting sign,
that will endure forever.”
- Jesus' words to the church in Laodicea include both rebuke and an invitation to fellowship. How do these belong together? What do these passages reveal about the Shepherd's love for people who have become distracted, complacent, or distant from him?
Look Again
Did you notice the connection between God's invitation and his covenant promises in Isaiah 55:3 3Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.Isaiah 55:3
God doesn't merely offer temporary relief to those who are thirsty. He promises an everlasting covenant grounded in his steadfast love for David.
Now look again at Revelation 3:19 19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Revelation 3:19
In both passages, God's invitation to return is rooted in his enduring commitment to relationship with his people.
Consider how this deepens your understanding of the Shepherd who calls us back to himself.
Practice
Pay attention today to something you regularly pursue for satisfaction, security, or a sense of worth.
Return to Isaiah 55:1–3 Invitation to the Thirsty 1“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. 3Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.Isaiah 55:1-3
Prayer
Thank God for his gracious invitation to come to him. Speak honestly about the things that compete for your attention and affection. Ask him to awaken a deeper hunger for his presence and a willing heart to respond when he calls.