Isaiah 55
One of the greatest tasks I face every day is to get my heart joyful in the Lord. It seems that when I listen to the radio, watch TV, read the internet or open a newspaper, the information fills my heart with despair and darkness. The bad news is like eating a crusty, moldy, week old mayonnaise and bologna sandwich; it just upsets the stomach. The world promises to satisfy us with laughs and cheers but not many people are smiling these days. If you want to know how much this is impacting people. go on a "smile search" for a day. Keep track of how many smiling faces you see around you in a
24-hour period.
I have often heard that children laugh much more than adults. Many numbers are thrown around concerning the frequency, but the most recent stat is that children laugh more than 300 times a day, whereas adults laugh less than 20 times a day. The implication is that somehow as we grow older we become too entangled with the bad news and it steals the joy from our hearts.
Isaiah knew this was a possibility to the people of God. So he wrote this encouragement in Isaiah 55:2. He wanted to redirect their appetites to that which is truly satisfying and good.
Why spend money on what is not bread, and labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
What God is urging us to do is to reject the junk food of the world and eat the organic, wholesome, soul food that he is offering us. When we eat what is good and wholesome it brings delight to our hearts. The enjoyment of God is the only happiness that will truly satisfy us. When we fill our hearts with Jesus it fills our life to overflowing with joy. If you try to find happiness in anything on earth, you are going to be disappointed.
The application of this is clear. Get rid of the junk food of this planet and sit at the table and find Jesus. When you spend time with Jesus you find joy.
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