Without money and without price.

Isaiah 55:1

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

There may be no more beautiful passage, no more sublime and exquisite wording than the wording found in this fifty-fifth chapter of Isaiah. For see! It tells of the truths that cannot be purchased with money, and the nourishment that may be gotten without money and without price. The sublime truth, the stupendous principle, the divine fact that is herein spelled out for us is the fact that the best things in the world are free! Why do people spend their money on that which is not bread? Why do they labor for that which satisfieth not, when they could just come to the waters that are free for all, and open to every weary traveler. He that hath no money! Buy wine and milk! And buy it without money and without price. No pocket book will be needed, no wallet necessary. No exchange will be made, or any deal bartered. It is simply a fountain open for all. And yet. And yet! So many are passing by without giving a second thought to the pure, free, crystal clear, flowing waters. They instead go for things of much lesser value and of much lower esteem-things which do not satisfy. They spend their resources to procure meat that perisheth, bread which is moldy and stale—and does not satisfy.

For we must see this day that all the goods of this world are just that way. They do not satisfy. They are not real bread. They are not lasting. We cannot eat of them and feel satiation of our appetite. We go thither to draw time and time again. But if we will go to the living waters, we shall never thirst again. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters!

Are you thirsty today, my dear friend? Do not look to anything this world affords. Those things are strangely dim. Do not look to the gadgets, trinkets, and glittering allurements that are scattered around you. They have no continuing satisfaction, only temporary gratification. That is not what you need! What do you need? You need the waters! You need the water of God’s Word to nourish, strengthen, and cleanse you! You need communion with God to invigorate and resurrect your slumbering soul! You need God’s voice to wake and refresh your weary spirit! Come to the waters! Come to Christ Jesus, who is the Living Water! He is the One who satisfies! He is the One who is the Provider of all our needs. He is the One who can impart to us the assuagement of our thirst that we desperately need. And that assuagement will be lasting. As long as we continue to stay at this fountain, and forsake all others, we will find deep satisfaction, and true joy and peace in the Lord. For, as the Lord says, “eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.” This is the Lord. Come to the waters today! For all that you can have there is without money and without price!

“Dear Father, we thank you for the gentle reminder today of the satisfaction that you alone can bring. We are coming to the waters to be fed, and are drinking with open mouth from the great fountain you have set for us. We know that all other fountains are corrupt springs. Only in you can we find the cisterns that are not broken. Thank you for refreshing our souls this day. May we look no where else but in you to find the quenching of our soul’s thirst. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”