Isaiah 55:2 (NASB)
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
Bible Commentary
Isaiah 55:2 is a Bible verse from an encouraging chapter in the Old Testament where God is using the prophet, Isaiah, to call His people from emptiness to abundance.
Reading through the first two verses of this chapter makes me picture in my mind a community of people who live in the scarcity of the desert, barely scraping by with a skimpy supply of food and water, laboring just to maintain the bare necessities of shelter for daily survival, yet all the while just on the other side of the mountain, there is a lush and fertile land, flowing with milk and honey—theirs for the taking!
Isaiah 55:2 seems to be relaying that kind of message. Why do we work at a job which is unsatisfying, to make money to pay for things that don’t satisfy us?
The hope and encouragement is in the next line, “Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” The key here is to listen diligently to Him.
In Hebrew the word “listen” or “hearken” means: to hear intelligently (with implication of attention, obedience); be content, discern, perceive, publish, report, witness.
Unlocking the Truth – Our Promised Land
Because of ignorance, the people in the barren desert were living in poverty instead of plenty, when there was abundance available to them just over the mountain. We must choose to listen to God, not someone or something else.
God commands that we follow Him in obedience, listening to Him, perceiving and reporting what we learn, and being a witness. In Mark 9:7 God told the disciples of Jesus, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
Until we decide to listen to Jesus Christ, as God commanded, we will be ignorant and blind to the lush, tropical land flowing with milk and honey that could so readily be ours.
There is a reason our work sometimes seems empty, hollow and purposeless, and our food seems bland and tasteless. It’s because we’re in the desert land! We are supposed to be living in the fertile, rich land Jesus Christ died to give us!
Time for a status report of the heart. Where are we in our relationship with Jesus Christ? Are we listening to Him? If so, great! Let’s keep listening and believe what He says and walk in faith, unafraid.
If not, you know what to do. Dive into the Bible and start praying diligently.
God Changes Things
It’s amazing how quickly He can change things—even where we are right now—our current job, relationships, financial status, etc., when we seek Him diligently.
The last part of Isaiah 55:2 says, “Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.”
He can make a sandwich taste as satisfying and enjoyable as a thick, juicy steak, and He can transform what seems like an unimportant, boring job, into something meaningful and purposeful. He can stretch the little bit we have in our bank account farther than we knew it could go. He is God! Hallelujah!
He has abundance in mind for us. Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). It is available to us right now–not next week, not when we get a better job, not when we find the right person, not when we get out of debt, not when we get to Heaven, but right now!
The last part of Isaiah 55:2 in the KJV reads like this, “let your soul delight itself in fatness.” Our soul is our thoughts, emotions and desires. Our soul can delight itself in fatness (abundance, satisfaction).
Let’s focus on Christ and listen to Him.
Study the Bible verse of Isaiah 55:2, listen to God and believe He can transform your barren wasteland into a fertile and satisfying home. With God, all things are possible (Mark 9:23).
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