Day 33

Come to the Lord

from the reading plan

Open Your Bible

Isaiah 54:1-17, Isaiah 55:1-13, Hosea 14:1-3, Matthew 7:7-12

By Canaan Chapman

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 54:1-17, Isaiah 55:1-13, Hosea 14:1-3, Matthew 7:7-12

In consideration of the title for today’s reading, “Come to the Lord,” I’m prompted to ask, why would someone do that?

Isaiah 55 invites us all in with a clear and urgent call: Are you thirsty? Come to the water He offers. Are you broke? Come and eat anyway because the bill is on the house. In Scripture, God does not declare this blessing for the righteous and that consequence for the unrighteous. Here, the prophet said “everyone.” That’s the good and the bad, the worthy and unworthy, people who lived long ago and everyone who has yet to be born. Isaiah strengthened this metaphor by saying that it doesn’t make sense to spend and gorge on things that won’t satisfy (Isaiah 55:2). He remembered the covenant that God made to His people and begged his listeners to “seek the LORD while he may be found; [and] call to him while he is near” (v. 6).

Mountains will move and the hills will shake, but Isaiah says that God’s love won’t be removed. His promise of compassion and forgiveness—His peace—won’t crumble. Convinced? For these reasons and more we would come to the Lord.

We would come because of God’s promise of restoration and renewal.

We would come because of perfect protection and security.

We would come because of peace.

We would come because of bestowed righteousness.

We would come because of forgiveness, redemption, wisdom, guidance.

Passages from Hosea reinforce this call to return to the Lord, emphasizing repentance with the promise of healing and renewal. And in Matthew 7:7–12, Jesus taught us to persist in seeking God, assuring us that God will respond to us with His goodness. I see, across all of these passages, the consistent message that God is eager to restore us. God alone has the wisdom that He provides to His people for holy living—and He provides the means for us to live according to His wisdom!

Lent is such a good season to assess, practice, and realign our devotion to God. We fast, pray, show generosity, and prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate a risen Savior. I can relate to the eighteenth century hymn, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” I’m prone to wander, as it seems many of us are.

Instead of shame or fear, can we believe in our hearts that God’s invitation is good and His promises true?

Written by Canaan Chapman