Come to the Waters
The invitation goes to people with no money: come eat and drink for nothing, stop paying for what never satisfies. Our Father's thoughts run higher than theirs, so his pardon is freer than they expect. His word, like rain, does not come back empty.
55 1"Listen! All you who are thirsty, come to the water; you without money, come, buy food and eat! Come, buy wine and milk for no price—free of charge. 2Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest food. 3Open your ears and come to me; listen, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. a a v3 Paul quotes this verse in Acts 13:34 of Jesus's resurrection — our Father's everlasting covenant with David finds its fullness in the risen Christ. 4See, I have appointed him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. 5Surely you will summon a nation you do not know, and a nation that does not know you will run to you, because of your Father, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you."
6Seek our Father while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7Let the wicked abandon his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to our Father, and our Father's heart will be moved with compassion for him; return to our Father, for he will freely pardon.
8"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares our Father. 9'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there, but water the earth, making it produce and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread for those who eat, 11so will my word be 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 out in peace; the mountains and the hills will break into singing before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 13Instead of the thornbush the cypress will grow, and instead of the brier the myrtle will grow. This will be for the renown of our Father, an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.'"
