你有甚麼渴求？
以賽亞書五十五章1至13節
1“你們一切乾渴的都當就近水來，沒有銀錢的也可以來。你們都來，買了吃，
不用銀錢，不用價值，也來買酒和奶。
2你們為何花錢（註：原文作“平銀”）買那不足為食物的？用勞碌得來的買那不使人飽足的呢？你們要留意聽我的話，就能吃那美物，得享肥甘，心中喜樂。
3你們當就近我來，側耳而聽，就必得活。我必與你們立永約，就是應許大衛那可靠的恩典。
4我已立他作萬民的見證，為萬民的君王和司令。
5你素不認識的國民，你也必召來；素不認識你的國民，也必向你奔跑，都因耶和華你的神以色列的聖者，因為他已經榮耀你。”
6當趁耶和華可尋找的時候尋找他，相近的時候求告他。
7惡人當離棄自己的道路，不義的人當除掉自己的意念。歸向耶和華，耶和華就必憐恤他；當歸向我們的神，因為神必廣行赦免。
8耶和華說：“我的意念非同你們的意念，我的道路非同你們的道路。
9天怎樣高過地，照樣，我的道路高過你們的道路，我的意念高過你們的意念。
10雨雪從天而降，並不返回，卻滋潤地土，使地上發芽結實，使撒種的有種，使要吃的有糧。
11我口所出的話也必如此，決不徒然返回，卻要成就我所喜悅的，在我發它去成就（註：“發它去成就”或作“所命定的”）事上必然亨通。
12你們必歡歡喜喜而出來，平平安安蒙引導；大山小山必在你們面前發聲歌唱，田野的樹木也都拍掌。
13松樹長出，代替荊棘，番石榴長出，代替蒺藜。這要為耶和華留名，作為永遠的證據，不能剪除。”
信息分享
神以非常簡單的語句發出邀請。祂談到信心，這是全人類共通的理念。祂用的另一個觀念是「喝水」，或者更確切講是「口渴」。所有人都知道甚麼是口渴，也知道甚麼是喝水。神向人發出了一個極美的邀請：「一切口渴的人都可以到我這裡來。」口渴一詞描述一種迫切的需要，口渴比飢餓更嚴重，每個人都有一兩次這樣的經歷。神說：「你的人生若有甚麼迫切需要，希望得著滿足的，到我這裡來，我要滿足你的需要。」
人有很多渴求，例如愛、友誼。有些人渴望有身份、地位、權力，並願意不惜一切代價來得到；許多人渴求知識，有些人渴求所謂成功；還有些人心靈渴求，他們或許生活很不如意，而希望他們的需要可得到永久解決。一些人為了滿足渴求而不擇手段；也有一些人會壓抑或隱藏自己的渴求。
神怎樣滿足人的渴求呢？祂用活水滿足我們。任何生物都需要水；我們也同樣需要神的恩典。水有潔淨的作用；神的恩典也能潔淨我們的罪。水能使人復甦和重新振作；基督所賜的活水同樣有這個效用。我們還需要甚麼呢？更寶貴的是，神將這活水白白賜給我們。神對我們說：「你們來吧！不用花錢的！我白白賜給你們。」這豈不是你知道的最偉大的邀請嗎？
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING LATELY?
Isaiah 55: 1-13
1 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
The sure mercies of David.
4 Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people,
A leader and commander for the people.
5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,
And nations who do not know you shall run to you,
Because of the LORD your God,
And the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you.”
6 Seek the LORD while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the LORD,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the LORD for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
Message
God uses very simple terms in His invitations. He speaks about faith, something which is a universal principle. Another term He uses is “drinking”, or more particularly “thirsting”. Everyone knows what it is to be thirsty. Everyone knows what drinking is. Here is one of God’s wonderful invitations, “all you who are thirsty come.” Thirst is a desperate word, a most descriptive word. Physical thirst can be even more serious than hunger. Everyone has experienced it at one time or another. God is saying, “If there is a desperate need in your life for something that will really satisfy, come to me and I will meet that need.”
People thirst for many things, love and friendship for example. Others thirst for status, position, power, and will do anything to gain these. Many thirst for knowledge. Others thirst for so called success. Still others have a heart longing; they may have an unsatisfied life and long for some permanent solution to their need. Some try to satisfy these longings in various ways. Others try to stifle them or ignore them.
What does God offer? Living water. Water is absolutely necessary for all forms of life. So is Divine grace. Water is a great cleansing agent. So is what God offers. It can cleanse away the stain of sin. Water refreshes and revives. So does Christ. What more do we need? And best of all it is free. “Come,” says God, “and take what I offer without money and without cost.” Isn’t that the greatest invitation you have heard of?