come to the waters // a devotional, pt. 4

Hey y’all!

It’s been a hectic week, but school is out for a week and I get a little breather here. 🙂

I hope you are enjoying this devotional so far! It’s been so cool to see your responses! Press in this week!

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A Call to Arms. (Is 55:8-11)

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

and your ways are not My ways.”

This is the Lord’s declaration.

9 “For as heaven is higher than earth,

so My ways are higher than your ways,

and My thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For just as rain and snow fall from heaven

and do not return there

without saturating the earth

and making it germinate and sprout,

and providing seed to sow

and food to eat,

11 so My word that comes from My mouth

will not return to Me empty,

but it will accomplish what I please

and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

These first two verses are ones that almost every Christian could probably recite from memory. We see it everywhere, from Instagram bios to inspirational journals, etc. It is surprising, then, that while they are a couple of the most used, they are still very underrated verses. With all of the popularity they have, do we truly understand what they are saying? Not everyone really, truly digs into it. We understand that God’s ways are higher, but does that mean that we can do nothing about the painful positions we find ourselves in? Not in the least bit.

Verses 8 and 9 of Isaiah 55 reinforce God’s power and place as sovereign. This is a crucial thing to understand, yes. He created everything, holds it all in His hands, loves us immensely, and is planning on returning to redeem life as we know it. That is hard to wrap our human minds around. However, it doesn’t stop there. If we have received the Gospel message and have His Spirit living inside of us, we are His children. 

This isn’t just a verse about God’s evident royal position over everything we know; this is a verse meant to comfort. Not in an “I can survive this because God knows what He’s doing” way. While true, there is so much more depth to the message here. If we are His children, that means we carry the same power that was used when Jesus rose from the grave. This is the same power that was poured out on those at Pentecost. We have the blood of the Lamb running through our veins. We are not meant to just sit by and watch the world bully us. We have the Spirit inside us.

This is a call to arms.

Isaiah is making a point here. He is reminding us that God has higher ways than we know. We know this and we trust Him. God knows us and wants to come back. But He knows when that is. Our job is to stay vigilant until that day comes. One way to picture this is by imagining Him handing you a giant sword and saying, “Yes, I have a plan, all things are going to work for your good, but in the meantime, you can do some serious damage to the kingdom of darkness in my name. You have my power in you and while it’s rough right now, don’t give up and sit there.”

While this verse comforts, it also promises security and gives hope for tomorrow. Knowing who you are in relation to God the Father is key. Sons and daughters don’t doubt that they are their parents’ children.

This continues in the next two verses. When God speaks something, it won’t fail to come to pass. One of my favorite songs, Promises Never Fail by Bethel Music, encapsulates this perfectly.

“Darkness, shadows have no power over me

Fear is empty, shame has no authority

Your love, it won’t let go; I know it won’t

I know Your thoughts, your plans for me are good

And I know You hold, my future and my hope

Your promises never fail, your promises never fail.”

Similarly, Andrew Peterson’s song, The Sower’s Song, is Isaiah 55 put to music. These two songs do a great job of highlighting verses 10-11. It screams of God’s faithfulness, and a lot of times that is really hard to hear when it feels like it isn’t true. But that is one of the good things about God that we aren’t used to as humans who know that things fail and die. God isn’t like that. He will never fail. He will never let us down. He will never abandon us. We are His children. 

“As the rain and the snow fall

Down from the sky

And they don’t return but they water the earth and bring they forth life

Giving seed to the sower; bread for the hunger

So shall the word of the Lord be with a sound like thunder

And it will not return, it will not return void

We shall be led in peace

And go out with joy.”

What God has spoken, it will come to pass. Whether that be now or fifty years in the future, it will not fall to the side. The Sower leads us, not harshly. Not in a rough sort of way. He is our Father. God is for us, so what can stand against us?

Thank you, God, for giving Your only Son for our redemption. With His death came our redemption. We are royalty. We are your children. We are co-heirs with Christ. We carry Your name wherever we go. Thank you for the light and hope You have given us. You are so good to Your people. We praise you eternally. Fill us with more of Your Spirit. Pour it all over our hearts, Father.  We want to walk with You forever. You are greater and better than anything in this life. We love you, Abba.

Next Steps:

• God, where am I allowing darkness to harass me? How do I begin to step into an offensive position against that darkness?
• How are you teaching me how to live in the freedom of His promises, Lord.
• How do I live an “on guard” life for You, Jesus?

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song of the week:

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Now go forth, mis amigos and amigas, and smile. Your day is just beginning. Make the best of it. Don’t procrastinate. Work hard. Make me proud. 🙂

Love you all,

Madeleine