“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!”
I have watched you, Lord, through the lens of my own desperation. Bills coming due, income uncertain. I have watched you meet my needs, then go beyond the need to pleasures. Then go beyond the pleasures to blessings, then beyond the blessings to extravagance. It overwhelmed me.
What I didn’t realize was that, in the extravagance, I shifted my sights to the blessings rather than to their Source. I began to look to see what else you would do instead of keeping my eyes on you. You somehow became secondary to what I was receiving.
The subtlety of blessing is that it is good; it is meant to be enjoyed. It isn’t meant to replace the pleasure of intimacy with God. Rather, it is designed to enhance it. So the question comes down to: When abundance becomes the norm, how can I keep my soul needy rather than distracted?
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy . . . without money and without cost” (Isaiah 55:1). What enables me to purchase extravagance? It is my willingness, my thirst. It draws me to want more. It doesn’t cease to be needy because it recognizes what is good and also what does not satisfy (v2).
Don’t become so enamoured with the blessing that you pursue it rather than the Source.
His invitation, though whispered, still penetrates to the place where I can hear him. “Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good . . . Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you . . .” (v2–3).
SCRIPTURE TO REFLECT ON: ISAIAH 55:1–3
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. Can you remind yourself of times when God has gone beyond meeting your needs and your pleasures to overwhelming you with blessings and extravagance?
2. How will you pursue the Source of blessing today rather than the blessing itself?
Dave Collins was raised in Vietnam, the son of missionaries. Based on lessons learned as a
pastor, missionary, educator, international development worker, and senior executive, he
founded Paradigm Ministries in 2007. Discover more at www.paradigmministries.ca.
40 Days of Faith and Hope in Action 
Love this line…
“When abundance becomes the norm, how can I keep my soul needy rather than distracted?” It calls me to keep my eyes on Him, the author and finisher…
Lovely thought, thanks for sharing!
“…in the extravagance, I shifted my sights to the blessings rather than to their Source.” This quote caught my attention. God is the Source of all blessing, and my soul can be distracted, instead of focused on the Source of blessing, love and life. Thank you, Dave, for sharing your insight. This has provided me with much to reflect on. “Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people whose God is the Lord” Psalm 144:15.
Thank you Denise,
Yes, as we focus on the Source of that extravagant blessing, we long to reflect His image of generosity and subsequently look for ways to become a blessing to others.
“I have watched you meet my needs…”
This resonates with me so deeply. I have been to the deepest depths of despair and He has always been generously faithful in meeting my spiritual needs – but – it usually involves connecting with those in need around me. This is how I pursue the Source of all blessings: by connecting most intimately with the work of the Spirit. This is one of the most precious, abundant blessings from our loving Provider that we can feast on, or sadly, choose to ignore the invitation and walk away feeling undernourished,
Our Lord is so pleased when we make that connection with Him through the Spirit!