Great Plains Daily Devotional for 4/8/2020

Isaiah 55:1-9 

Ho, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
    and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
    listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
    my steadfast, sure love for David.
See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
    a leader and commander for the peoples.
See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
    and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, 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 their way,
    and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    nor are your ways my ways, says 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.

Today’s text comes from the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah is warning the nation of Israel that they must repent of their sins and salvation is at hand. As I read the passage out loud, my heart resonated with a few specific verses. The first few verses in our passage Isaiah are calling those who do not have what they physically need, that even they are entitled to the God’s blessings and favor. Today, many of us can directly relate to not having what we need. When one goes to the grocery store and they see rations on everyday supplies such as meat, hand sanitizer and toilet tissue it can be disheartening to say the least.
 
As one who is healthy and has the means to go to the grocery store, I am privileged that I have more than others among me. Isaiah is sharing to the Israelites that God’s grace is open to all, especially the least, last, and the forgotten. When one does not have their basic human needs met, Isaiah can relate to them that Christ is coming for them. That we must hunger for more than what feeds the body (see Matthew 4:4). Christ is our Bread of life.
 
 As we pray that all will have their physical needs met, we rejoice knowing that Christ lived, died and resurrected for all. The Good News is that Christ is returning for all who believe in him and repent of their sins. I also resonate with verse six in that our time on Earth is limited. This seems very real right now. We must encourage our family and friends to seek the Lord before we no longer can.  Look to the skies, Christ is near!

Prayer for Reflection

Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 70
Hebrews 12:1-3
John 13:21-32