One of the benefits of "couch church" (as my great-niece Adelynn calls it) is the ability to catch multiple messages. Today, I heard a message from East Peoria Mennonite Church where Pastor Kim Litwiller shepherds the congregation. Kim spoke today from Isaiah 55:1-3.
“Is anyone thirsty?Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you.I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David. Her messages always leave my heart equally encouraged and challenged. Her eyes on this passage was perfect for my heart today." -Isaiah 55:1-3 (NLT)
I needed the reminder that it is silly to spend money on food that does not give us strength and does us no good. What? Did the prophet, Isaiah, know the future would hold Little Debbies, Twinkies, Soda, Kitchen Cooked Chips and Cheese Curls (Central Illinois, you know what I mean), and Big Macs. So much of what is cheap and easy to eat is not good for us. Unfortunately, it tastes good. We are easily sucked into the guilty pleasure. The more we partake, the more we crave.
Today's lesson reminded us to take a look at our options and how we make our choices. Water, milk and wine all have a purpose and a place. God designed them all. Water is life. Milk is nourishment. Wine is exhilarating for celebration.
Jesus invites ALL of us to come to the table. What is offered we cannot purchase, because Jesus already paid the price. To bring it all together... here is my "Verse of the Day":
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”-Matthew 4:4 NLT
Accidental? I think divine providence is a better explanation.
Our human bodies have some basic human needs, but they have spiritual ones, too. When it feels the world is falling apart... buying more, better, bigger stuff will not satisfy. Our human souls are never satisfied until we find peace with The One who gave us life and breath.
He is the Living Water, the Bread of Life and the Prince of Peace. These things are not found at the "Stuff-mart" (to borrow from Bob and Larry and the Veggie Tales). Why waste our money on such things. What he has is free... and satisfies. (My Earworm is singing "He will never be satisfied" from Hamilton. I guess it fits.)
Jesus softly invites us to come and have our thirsts quenched. All of them.
Today, I am grateful for quenched thirsts.
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