"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live (Isaiah 55:1-3).

Many things are expected and demanded of us. We have family obligations. Many of us are required to work for a living; this makes significant demands on us. When we don't have such work, the demands are different but certainly not less stressful. Some of us volunteer in Thrift Stores, at service agencies and even for the congregations that we are part of.

These things are good. It is good to be part of a family and contribute to its well being. Having a job that provides income as well as a means of contributing to the flourishing of society is also good. Being available to serve others reflects the mercy of our God. Contributing to the life of the church is one way in which we participate in the growth of God's kingdom. These spaces also provide community for us and that too was declared by God to be good.

All these good things can put strain on us. They become burdens that we become unable to lay down. They can sap our energy, control our emotions, dominate our lives. They can begin to act as idols that constantly demand increasingly more from us. They become irritants that cause resentment, anger, jealousy, and other fruits of the flesh to grow in our hearts, sometimes bursting forth in the most inopportune times.

The world demands more of us, always more. And often, it gives very little back. We end up depleted and empty, hungering for something that will nourish us; fill us; satisfy.

Into those demands, God speaks. No, God invites. He invites us to come. He invites those who have nothing, who are thirsty, poor, hungry, depleted from work that offers nothing in return. God offers us something the world cannot give: life, meaning, fulfilment.

Jesus gave greater depth to these words when he said, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me…rivers of living water will flow from within them." By this he meant the Spirit…" (John 7:37-39).

God does not take us away from the demands of family or work or volunteering or church. Rather, he fills us with his life so that we can give life to others. He desires for the fruit of the Spirit to develop in us so that they can adorn the places we work and live and volunteer.

He would fill us so that we can contribute not from our emptiness but from his fullness. With his filling, we discover that we are able and even eager to enter our spaces. We can contribute from his resources not our own; with his filling something supernatural is truly at work. Wherever God takes you this week, ask and he will fill you. Go then and bring his life into those places and communities.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Galatians 5:1, 13-14. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

Dive In!

1. What were the three things about freedom mentioned in the previous sermon?
   1. Relationship with _________.
   2. The result of the ___________ of _________ __________.
   3. Life in the ____________ of _________.
2. These three are from whose perspective:
3. What perspective did today's sermon explore:
4. Why must we embrace our freedom? What things might hinder our freedom? Does our idea of who God is matter?
5. What is our freedom not? What is it for?
6. How do we live our freedom? Will this be easy? How will you do it this week?

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow (Isaiah 1:15-17).

Do you know who made the clothes you are wearing? Do you know how much the server makes at your favourite restaurant? Do you know where the components of your cellphone come from? Do you know any of the people who were involved in assembling that wonderful little device? Do you know the farmers who produced the food you eat? Do you know if they were paid adequately for their produce or if they provided sufficiently for their workers?

In our integrated economy there are many things we simple do not know. A century ago, such ignorance would have been unimaginable. But this is the world we live in – a world of unceasing productivity and commerce in which producer and consumer are severely separated. Many are exploited in the process.

Thus, reading Isaiah 1 ought to make all Christians deeply uncomfortable.

Israel was keeping Sabbath. Isaiah offers a grand list of liturgical practices that God's people were faithfully participating in – offerings, incense, new moons, convocations, solemn assemblies, prayer and Sabbaths. But God was not happy with any of it. He was, in fact, utterly repulsed by it, wearied.

Sabbath and all its liturgical practices were not having any effect on his people. It was all fake. Oh, they stopped working all right. At least with their bodies. But their minds were still fully engaged in profit making. Along with the unending meditation on the accumulation of goods, came anxiety. If the profits were not as high as anticipated, it might crimp the size of the new house. That anxiety produced plans for coercion and exploitation. Those with money and power often find ways to make more at the expense of others. The great festival of rest had become simply another venue for restlessness.

Sabbath was meant to be a return to the covenant: dependence on God and concern for neighbour. But they had created a false dichotomy between the sacred and the secular. Sabbath was for paying attention to God, the rest of the week for making money. As a result, liturgical practices were cut off from the well-being of the neighbourhood and the protection of the vulnerable. God's covenant with Israel insisted that those with resources cared for those who had less. They had lost this connection.

In our society, with the distance between those who produce and those who buy it is easy for us to fall into a similar problem. Spiritual rest is about me and God. But if we truly pay attention to God, and not just ourselves, the Spirit will point us towards concern for our neighbour. As Paul once wrote, "The only thing that counts is faith working itself out in love" (Galatians 5:6). We can't change the system. But we can ask God to show us how to have greater concern for our neighbour. We can expect Sabbath to change us.

As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).