“Ho, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the water,
and you who have no money,
    come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without cost!
Why do you spend money for what is not bread?
Your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good,
    and delight yourself in abundance.” Isaiah 55:1-2, TLV

Free Food?  We know these verses have nothing to do with food or drink. When God talks about the basics of life — food, drink, home, work, rest — there’s always a deeper message. At the highest level, He is asking Israel — and us — what are we working for? What are we investing our heart, mind, and bodies into to. Does it truly “feed” us? Nourish us? Quench the thirst in our soul?

Those are important questions for us today, too. I just spent 30 minutes watching Instagram videos of which 5% of them fed my spirit. That means I spent my “wages” of 28.5 minutes on something that truly didn’t satisfy.

Seek ADONAI while He may be found,
call on Him while He is near.  (vs. 6, TLV) 

Every moment of this life is a gift. It may not feel that way all the time when grief, pain, or lack invades our lives, because, it feels like we can’t buy much with those wages. Actually, there’s a lot we can buy. There’s comfort, appreciation, and a forced quiet for us to seek our Father in a deeper more profound way. Our efforts can be spent in drowning our sorrows or distracting ourselves. Or, seeking the greatest source of our fulfillment and comfort.

This doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy rest and recreation. We’re built for rest and work. Our rest can actually feed and nourish us. Too much and it ceases to be edifying to our spirits. Too little and we pay another price with our bodies, minds, and our spirit.

Our redemption came at a great cost. It’s a free gift from our Father and His Son. Remembering this is good as we use our “wages” for what will nourish and edify. Let’s budget wisely, yes?