Snow and a Drink of Everlasting Water

As I stare out my window watching the snow fall I am reminded of a great passage of scripture that references snow.  So, for our Bible Time today let’s look at a passage from the book of Isaiah where snow is used to illustrate an amazing truth that we could all benefit from learning.

Background: Isaiah was a prophet of God that was sent to share a variety of accusations, challenges, encouragements, and prophecies for his people.  He lived through a number kings of Judah, mostly bad kings.  The people in his day were worshiping false gods, disobeying God’s law, and even forgetting about God altogether.  God spoke through Isaiah to warn them and bring them back to a right relationship with himself.  Isaiah looks forward to the day when the Messiah will come to rescue them from sin and death and make all things right.  Praise God that Jesus is that Messiah and he has made a way for you and I to be saved!  Read this chapter in Isaiah and listen to the voice of God call you to “come and drink.”

Isaiah 55:1-13

“Come, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price.
² Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
    and delight yourselves in rich food.
³ Incline your ear, and come to me;
    hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
    my steadfast, sure love for David.
⁴ Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
    a leader and commander for the peoples.
⁵ Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
    and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
    for he has glorified you.

⁶ “Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;
⁷ let the wicked forsake his way,
    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
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 bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
¹¹ so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

¹² “For you shall go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
    shall break forth into singing,
    and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
¹³ Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
    instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
    an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Things to think about:

·         Did you see the snow?  What was the analogy with the snow? 

·         In verse 2 God asks a great question.  “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?”  Why do we do that?  We chase after sins that cause destruction.  We long for things that will not bring us joy.  We work so hard to get more, more, more, and yet it never is enough.  And God is there screaming at us, “I will satisfy your soul.  Come to me, for I am what you have been longing for.”  May we listen to God today and stop seeking after all of the things of the world and instead seek after Him.

·         Verse 9 is often used by people when things are not going their way.  When tragedy strikes it is easy to say, “well, God’s ways are not man’s ways…” but let me challenge you for a moment.  That is a valid use of that verse, but think of the positive side of it.  God has made a way for us to be forgiven and will sacrifice himself on a cross and suffer in your place so that you can enjoy him forever even though you deserve destruction and wrath.  God’s ways are not man’s ways!  Yeah, if a man was the judge you would have received no Mercy and no Grace…but with God there is Mercy and Grace!  Praise God for His ways!

·         May God’s word go out today and just like the snow and rain water the earth and bear fruit, may today’s passage go out and bear much fruit in your life.

A New Year, A New You

The new year brings many things.  Many of us make new year resolutions because we want to change something in our lives, others look back at all that happened in the past year and ponder life’s important moments.  Today I want to look at a passage that takes all of life into view and puts everything in perspective.  After all the New Year resolutions and after all your pondering, never forget the truth that is found in this passage.  Let’s take a look.

1 Peter 1:3-9

  ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹ obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Things to think about:

·         Often our new year resolutions involve us changing something about ourselves.  Stop smoking, exercise more, eat more fish, whatever – but notice who is working in verse 3.  Who is causing us to be born again?  Is our salvation something we add to ourselves?  Is it something we work really hard on?  Is it something that takes grit and determination?  No!  God “caused us to be born again…”  How?  Through the love and life and death of Jesus Christ!  He did all the work.  He did the hard job of making a way for you to be saved.  All we do now is trust in Him.  Talk about a Happy New Year!

·         What do we get if we trust in Him?  What happens when we believe that he can give us new life and make us new?  Read verses 4 and 5 again.  Wow!  What an inheritance, what a gift, what love!  If God is guarding it…do you think anything is going to happen to it? 

·         Verse 6 gives me hope.  We rejoice in the hope of the inheritance we have in Christ regardless of what our lives look like today.  We may be going through some difficult trials – but none of those trials can damage the hope you have in Jesus.  There will come a day when it won’t be just a new year, but there will be a new creation.  A new life lived in complete joy and satisfaction with no pain, no worry, no shame, no sin.  Hope in that!  For that hope is unshakable!

·         My encouragement today would be to think, not just about last year or next year, but think of 100 years from now.  Will you be enjoying this inheritance that God is protecting for us?  Will you be rejoicing in great joy that is inexpressible?  Have you been “born again” with a new life of faith in Jesus Christ?  If not, what is stopping you from asking God to give you this living hope?

Happy New Year – and Happy New You