Are you open to His invitation?

How are you in your walk with God? Do you agree with me that many times we stumble and fall? We desire to be near to our God yet we keep on idolizing things in our life? Our career. Our possessions. Our fame. Our position. Our power. Ourselves. We ask for forgiveness and commit the same abhorrent sins, aren't we? 

The Israelites had sinned against God and had experienced exile into Babylon for their sin. It was painful, but God came to them through the prophet Isaiah, and offered the exiles life and a relationship with Him. God is working in us in our greatest pain and darkness even when its ultimately our fault. He begins to redeem us from our sin and draw us to Himself. That's how He genuinely and unconditionally loves us. 

We need to open our hearts to His invitation and repent. 

Isaiah 55 is just such a beautiful picture of God repeatedly calling us His people to go back to Him and enjoy life and relationship!

Isaiah 55

1 "Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come! Buy and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without cost! 2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing! Enjoy fine food! 3 Pay attention and come to me! Listen, so you can live! Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David. 4 Look, I made him a witness to nations, a ruler and commander of nations." 5 Look, you will summon nations you did not previously know; nations that did not previously know you will run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he bestows honor on you. 6 Seek the Lord while he makes himself available; call to him while he is nearby! 7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle and sinful people their plans. They should return to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, and to their God, for he will freely forgive them. 8 "Indeed, my plans are not like your plans, and my deeds are not like your deeds, 9 for just as the sky is higher than the earth, so my deeds are superior to your deeds and my plans superior to your plans. 10 The rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return, but instead water the earth and make it produce and yield crops, and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat. 11 In the same way, the promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend." 12 Indeed you will go out with joy; you will be led along in peace; the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you, and all the trees in the field will clap their hands. 13 Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes, firs will grow in place of nettles; they will be a monument to the Lord, a permanent reminder that will remain.