ODJ: Thirsty?

May 1, 2016 

READ: Isaiah 55:1-7  

Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! (v.1).

It seems to me that there are three primary things in life that make people feel good about themselves: wealth, good looks and knowledge. With this trio a person can feel significant (because people will flock to you for good and bad reasons) and secure (because you think you have some semblance of control).

Since I don’t have loads of money and am unwilling to be touched by a plastic surgeon’s scalpel, I once pursued knowledge—the most attainable thing for me—to satisfy my yearning for significance and security.

But I was wrong. The prophet Isaiah points us to the only Person who can truly satisfy us and quench our thirst for significance. It’s not knowledge itself that truly matters, but knowing God (Isaiah 55:6).

God promises that those who come to Him “will find life”, and He “will make an everlasting covenant with [them]” (v.3). This “everlasting covenant” is God’s gifts of Himself and His love, realised in salvation through Jesus. We’re loved, accepted and declared significant by God who created us.

Pastor and author Tim Keller observes: “As long as you think there is a pretty good chance that you will achieve some of your dreams, as long as you think you have a shot at success, you experience your inner emptiness as ‘drive’ and your anxiety as ‘hope’. And so you can remain oblivious to the real depth of your thirst. Most of us tell ourselves that the reason we remain unfulfilled is that we simply haven’t been able to achieve our goals. And so we can live almost our entire lives without admitting to ourselves the depth of our spiritual thirst.”

Are you thirsty? Come to God—for His invitation extends to you too.

—Poh Fang Chia

365-day plan: Nehemiah 8:1-8