An Invitation to Intimacy with God.

David Niquette, More of His Fullness.com January 24, 2021

(Bible quotes are from NASB unless otherwise notes. Modifications may be added for emphasis.)

I was awakened this morning with this sweet invitation in my heart: “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.” First thing I did (after I brewed coffee) was to search for this text. It was amazing to me how much of it came easily to mind, although I had not memorized it, nor even read it for a long time.

I found it in Isaiah 55. The whole chapter is an invitation to intimacy with God. I feasted on this for some time, and then was prompted to share it with you as a short series of Sunday blogs. So let’s get started – with the first three verses: Isaiah 55:1-3 NASB.

1"Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

2 "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance.

3"Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David.”

First, observe the words of invitation – “Come!” – three times. There are no qualifiers given to us for coming except this: We have an unquenchable thirst in our souls. We are spiritually famished even though we have explored every possible source of soul-satisfaction that the world, flesh and devil can offer. If this is you, listen carefully. You are experiencing God’s personal invitation to come to Him and discover, or rediscover, abundant life as His child. So, come.

The Lord, speaking through Isaiah, calls us away from the foolish, unending pursuit of things that give a false promise of satisfaction. The world, please observe, has a billion-dollar advertising scheme to draw us in. We invest our time and treasure in toys, and trinkets, and technology, and trips, and . . . . Deceptively, all of these work a little, but none of them work for long. And we still wind up thirsty and famished, tired of pursuing but trapped in the pursuit.

What God offers is real, is eternal, and is free. He Himself is the One who can satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. We were created to know Him and enjoy Him forever.

He is just waiting on us to respond to His invitation – “Come to Me!” So, come now.

Here’s the next observation: If we have come and responded to His invitation by faith, we can know that our intimate relationship with God is based on an “eternal covenant.” This covenant has been signed with the blood of the Son of David, Jesus the crucified, risen Lord of Glory.

King David is the model. Read his songs (Psalms). So many times, David struggles, came to the Lord, and was shown mercy. For instance, in Psalm 43:1-5. David began in despair (v.1-2), then found hope in God (v. 5). What made the difference? Let’s let him tell it. He prayed:

Psalms 43:3-4. 3 O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling places. 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy!

God was faithful to show David mercy as he responded to God’s invitation to “come.” Let’s respond to God’s invitation, too. “Come to Me.” (More next Sunday)