55:1-6Food costs money, lasts only a short time, and meets only physical needs. But God offers us free nourishment that feeds our soul. How do we get it? We are to come (55:1), listen (55:2), seek, and call on God (55:6). God’s salvation is freely offered, but to nourish our souls we must eagerly receive it. We will starve spiritually without this food as surely as we will starve physically without our daily bread.
Life Application Study BibleIsaiahChapter 55
Isaiah 55
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1178, 1179
55Isaiah 55
1it’s all free!
2Why 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.
3“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. 4See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations. 5You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”
6Seek the LORD while you can find him.Call on him now while he is near.
7Let the wicked change their waysand banish the very thought of doing wrong.Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them.Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
8“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
10“The rain and snow come down from the heavensand stay on the ground to water the earth.They cause the grain to grow,producing seed for the farmerand bread for the hungry.
11Tt is the same with my word.I send it out, and it always produces fruit.It will accomplish all I want it to,and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
12You will live in joy and peace.The mountains and hills will burst into song,and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
13Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow.Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up.These events will bring great honor to the LORD’s name;they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”
Life Application Notes 4 notes
55:3God's covenant with David promised a permanent homeland for the Israelites, no threat from pagan nations, and no wars (2 Samuel 7:10, 11). But srael did not fulfill its part of the covenant to obey God and stay away from idols. Even so, God was ready to renew his covenant again. He is a forgiving God!
55:6Isaiah tells us to call on the LORD while he is near. God is not planning to move away from us, but we often move far from him or erect barriers of sin between us. Don’t wait until you have drifted far away from God to seek him. Turning to him may be far more difficult later in life. Of God may come to judge the earth before you decide to turn to him. Seek God now, while you can, before it is too late.
55:8,9The people of tsrael were foolish to act as if they knew what God was thinking and planning. His knowledge and wisdom are far greater than any human’s. We are foolish to try to fit God into our mold—to make his plans and purposes conform to ours. Instead, we must strive to fit into his plans.