Come & See (Isaiah 55)

What are you searching for in life? If you were honest, what would you say you need the most right now? For some of us, it's peace. For others, it might be joy or fulfillment. We live in a world that is constantly pushing us to chase after things that promise satisfaction—whether it’s success, relationships, or possessions—but how often do those things actually leave us feeling more empty than we were before?

Isaiah 55 is a chapter where God speaks directly to that longing. He offers something far better than anything the world can give. He invites us to come, to listen, to trust, and ultimately to enjoy the life He has for us. Today, we’re going to walk through this chapter and explore the profound promises of joy, peace, and satisfaction that come when we respond to God’s call. My prayer is that by the end of this message, we will all stop chasing what the world offers and embrace the abundant life God is offering freely.

I. Come and Live (1-5)

Isaiah 55:1–2 (ESV) — 1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 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.

In Isaiah 55:1-2, God calls out to those who are thirsty, offering spiritual food and drink to satisfy the deepest longings of the soul. “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters,” He says. This isn’t a call to satisfy physical hunger or thirst, but a call to meet the spiritual needs we all carry. We live in a world full of people running after things that never satisfy. We spend our money, time, and energy chasing after possessions, status, and experiences, thinking we will find fulfillment. Yet God’s invitation cuts through all the noise. He offers something far better than the fleeting pleasures of this world. He offers Himself—the living water and the bread of life. And the best part? It’s free. It doesn’t cost anything. You can’t earn it or buy it. You simply receive what God offers in abundance, spiritual life.

But how often do we ignore this invitation and waste our time on what doesn’t truly matter? Verse 2 brings this into focus: “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” God is pleading with His people to stop chasing empty promises and to listen to Him. When we truly listen to God, we find nourishment for our souls. We find life. The world around us will always tempt us with things that look promising, but in the end, they leave us more thirsty than we were before. God, on the other hand, promises life—life abundant and eternal—if we will simply come and listen.

Isaiah 55:3–5 (ESV) — 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. 4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

In verses 3-5, the invitation becomes even more personal. God calls us not just to eat and drink, but to enter into a covenant relationship with Him. He points back to His covenant with David as an example of His faithfulness. Just as God made an everlasting covenant with David, He now extends that same faithfulness to all who will listen and come to Him. The promises of God are not limited by nationality or heritage. Verse 5 makes it clear that God’s salvation is for all the nations. His call to come and listen is a call to the whole world. And the result of listening to God is life—life in a relationship with the God who keeps His promises. So the question becomes, are we listening? Are we responding to the invitation that is freely given, or are we still wasting our time and energy on things that will never truly satisfy?

II. Trust in God’s Ways (6-11)

Isaiah 55:6–11 (ESV) — 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, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

As we move into verses 6-7, the tone shifts from invitation to urgency. “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” There’s a sense that this offer from God will not last forever. God’s mercy is wide, but there comes a time when the opportunity to respond passes by. It’s like when the door of Noah’s ark finally closed. God gave ample time for repentance, but eventually, the time to seek Him was over. We cannot assume that we will always have tomorrow to turn to the Lord. Today is the day of salvation. Today, God is near. He calls out to the sinner: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.”

There’s no sugarcoating here—God is calling for a complete turnaround. Not just an external change, but a change of heart, a forsaking of wrong thoughts and ways. Repentance is about more than stopping bad behavior; it’s about abandoning a mindset and lifestyle that are opposed to God’s will. Yet, notice the beautiful promise at the end of verse 7: “Let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Abundantly! God’s forgiveness is not stingy or reluctant. It is overflowing, more than enough to cover every sin. This is why we can trust Him. His mercy is vast, and He’s ready to pardon the moment we turn back to Him.

Isaiah 55:8–9 (ESV) — 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares 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.

Then, in verses 8-9, we are confronted with a truth that challenges us to trust even deeper: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” There’s something humbling about this statement. We are so quick to believe that we know best. Our culture encourages self-reliance, praises human wisdom, and promotes the idea that we are the masters of our own fate. But God reminds us here that His ways are infinitely higher than ours. He sees what we cannot see. He knows what we cannot know. And sometimes, God’s ways don’t make sense to us. They may even seem contrary to our understanding of how things should go. But isn’t that exactly why we must trust Him?

We may not always understand why God allows certain things to happen or why His timing seems different from what we expect. Yet, Isaiah calls us to trust in the wisdom and sovereignty of a God whose thoughts and ways are beyond our comprehension. We aren’t called to understand everything; we’re called to trust that He does. That’s where faith comes in. It’s believing that, even when we don’t see the full picture, God is working for our good and His glory.

Isaiah 55:10–11 (ESV) — 10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Finally, in verses 10-11, God reassures us that His word never returns void. Like the rain and snow that fall and water the earth, God’s word will accomplish everything He intends. This is a powerful promise. When God speaks, things happen. When God sends forth His word—whether it’s in creation, in Scripture, or in the gospel—it has a purpose, and it will not fail. So, when we trust in His word, we are trusting in something that is sure, something that will bear fruit in our lives.

In Isaiah, God has been making powerful promises about a servant who will save the nations and provide everlasting life. These promises aren’t empty. He fulfilled them in Christ.

So, in our lives, we can trust in His word to provide us all that is promised. We may not see the results right away. Just like rain takes time to produce a harvest, God’s word may take time to show its full effect. But we can rest in the confidence that it will not return empty. Our role is to trust. To trust that God’s ways, though higher and sometimes harder to understand, are always for our good. To trust that His word is powerful and effective, even when we don’t immediately see the results. Will we choose to trust in the One whose thoughts are higher than ours? Will we let go of our need to control and understand everything, and instead, lean on the everlasting arms of a faithful and sovereign God?

III. Enjoy God’s Promised Joy and Peace (Isaiah 55:12-13)

Isaiah 55:12–13 (ESV) — 12 “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Isaiah 55 comes to a crescendo in verses 12 and 13, offering a vision of the joy and peace that follow when we respond to God’s invitation and trust in His ways. “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace.” These aren’t just fleeting emotions; these are lasting states of being that come from being in right relationship with God. Joy and peace are the hallmarks of a life lived in the presence of God, and they stand in stark contrast to the turmoil and dissatisfaction that come from seeking fulfillment outside of Him.

What a beautiful promise this is! The world promises happiness through wealth, success, and pleasure, but none of those things bring the deep, abiding joy that God gives. His joy runs deeper than circumstances. It’s a joy that comes from knowing you are loved, forgiven, and held securely in His hands. And then there’s peace—the kind of peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). In a world filled with anxiety, unrest, and chaos, God offers a peace that anchors the soul. This peace comes from trusting that, no matter what happens, God is in control and His purposes will prevail. Are you experiencing that joy and peace today? Or are you weighed down by the worries and pressures of life?

Isaiah’s imagery here is more than just personal; it’s cosmic. “The mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” This is a vision of creation itself rejoicing in God’s restoration. Remember, in Genesis, after Adam’s sin, creation was cursed, bringing forth thorns and thistles (Genesis 3:17-18). But here in Isaiah, we see that the curse is reversed. The thornbush will be replaced by the cypress, and the brier will be replaced by the myrtle. This transformation is symbolic of God’s redemptive work in the world. He is making all things new, restoring not just humanity but the entire created order.

This vision of restoration should fill us with hope. It’s a reminder that God is not only at work in our individual lives but also in the grand story of history. He is reversing the effects of sin and bringing about a new creation. And just as the thornbush is replaced by the cypress, so too are the thorns in our lives—those painful, difficult circumstances—transformed by God’s grace into something beautiful. God is not finished with us, and He is not finished with the world. There is a day coming when all things will be made new, and we will live in the fullness of joy and peace that Isaiah describes.

But even now, we get to experience a foretaste of that joy and peace. When we surrender our lives to God, when we trust in His ways and His word, we begin to live in the reality of His kingdom. We may still face trials and thorns along the way, but we do so with the assurance that God is at work in us and through us. The joy and peace He promises are not reserved for the future alone; they are gifts for today. So, the question is, are we living in that joy? Are we allowing God’s peace to guard our hearts and minds, or are we still clinging to the thorns of worry and fear?

Isaiah ends this chapter with a reminder that all of this—God’s invitation, His mercy, His restoration—is for His glory. “It shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” When we enjoy the joy and peace that God offers, our lives become a testimony to His goodness. The transformation He works in us points others to Him. Our lives, filled with the joy of the Lord, become an everlasting sign of His grace and power. Will you embrace the joy and peace that God offers today and let your life be a living testimony to His glory?

Conclusion:

So, what are you thirsting for? As we’ve walked through Isaiah 55 today, we’ve seen that God offers more than just a temporary fix for our spiritual hunger—He offers true, lasting satisfaction. He invites us to come and drink deeply of His mercy, to trust in His higher ways, and to enjoy the peace and joy that only He can give.

This isn’t just a promise for the future. It’s a reality we can begin living in today. The world will continue to push us to chase after empty promises, but God’s invitation is clear and simple: Come. Listen. Trust. Enjoy. He offers what your soul has been longing for, freely and abundantly.

The joy and peace He promises are not dependent on circumstances—they are rooted in His faithfulness and His word, which never returns void. As you leave today, I want you to remember this: God’s invitation is always open. He is near, ready to forgive, ready to restore, ready to lead you into a life of true joy and peace. The question is, are you ready to accept His invitation?

May your life be a testimony of God's grace, an everlasting sign of the transformation He brings, and may you experience the fullness of His joy and peace as you trust in Him.