Are you thirsty? Come!
Are you hungry? Come!
Are you weary? Come!
Are you grieving? Come!
Are you laid off? Come!
Are you searching? Come!
Are you burdened by the weight of life? Come!
The first time I read Isaiah 55, I was not sure whether I was reading the Bible or not. I was taught that God expected me to have everything figured out. Unlike many pilgrims of faith who travel the Christian road to Calvary, I used to get interrupted a lot on this path. I got distracted with weariness. I was concerned for my brothers and sisters, friends and colleagues, the sick and the poor…
I got distracted by my own thoughts. I found myself wondering about the best way of doing church, so people won’t get hurt or feel left out. After all, the church is supposed to be welcoming, right?
That is to simply say, I worried a lot.
Worry not only distracts from remaining focus on the faith journey but it empties the soul. What are the consequences of an empty soul? An empty soul tends to exhibit behaviors that search for things to satisfy the flesh. In other word, one begins to seek worldly or physical things to satisfy the body.
You see our body, soul and spirit works together. But it is a movement that goes from inside out. Jesus says it this way, “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean’” (NIV).
So, what you have been eating is not the problem. It is when it comes out. Why so? Because what we eat get processed inside.
For example, a person can choose to listen to any kind of music that delights him or her. Nothing is ‘wrong’ with music. However, the condition of that person’s soul will be revealed by the behavior and the language he or she exhibits. This does not happen overnight, but it is a result of not dealing with internal conflicts.
Internal conflicts can be unforgiveness, hate, grief, or sorrow. When we are grieving rarely do we tell anyone because the world expects us to be strong. When we worry, it is assumed to be an act of compassion. This is how we say it, “I am concerned.”
When we worry, we are emptying ourselves out. Before we know it, anger manifests itself. Anger then turns to substance abuse. We can treat alcoholism but if the root of the problem has not been dealt with, a different cycle will likely begin.
My worries used to turn to sorrow and frustration. And I thank God, whom I was aware of at an early age, for giving me a spirit of discernment. When I would feel overwhelmed with sorrow, I cried out to Him. I will cry myself to sleep or find a quiet place to calm my spirit. I did that for long time and never associated that with worries.
Reading the CBS version of Psalm 23:3 gave me a revelation I never saw before. See, I was not sure I understood well what God meant by restoration as mentioned in some other versions. I was longing to be renewed each time I went to a quiet place. When I cried to sleep, I wanted to wake up not remembering the worries that burdened my soul.
Then, I read the NIV translation of Psalm 23:3, “He Refreshes My Soul.”
Restoration is simply the soul being refreshed. When we go to God heavy burdened, hungry, thirsty, sad, angry, bitter, unforgiven, or callus, He purges out everything that filled up our soul and left us empty. When God finishes purging out, He begins to fill the soul again with joy, peace, love, kindness, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and goodness (Galatians 5:22-23).
Isaiah 55 and Psalm 23 reminds us that God has whatever we need at no cost and can refresh us when we mess up. Whenever, worries begin to create desires to satisfy our flesh or body, God is willing to refresh our soul. When our souls are refreshed, we are restored and able to care for our loved ones with patience and love. We show kindness.
When we have a ‘clean’ soul, we choose carefully what we eat. God has a table prepared for us in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23: 5). At the table He has water, wine, milk, honey, bread and everything to satisfy our soul at no cost (Isaiah 55:1-2).
Are you thirsty? Come!
Are you hungry? Come!
Are you weary? Come!
Are you grieving? Come!
Are you laid off? Come!
Are you searching? Come!
Are you burdened by the weight of life? Come
For the table is served.
- Join Us for National Day of Prayer Session - May 4, 2022
- Join Us For The Journey: I Commit 365 Prayer – A Mom’s Story of Faith, Fear, Trauma and Healing - April 27, 2021
- Join Us For “Women of the Bible” Series - January 19, 2021
