What money can’t buy
June 27, 2012 - 5:00 am“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.” — Isaiah 55:1–2
“The best things in life are free,” so the saying goes. Everyone has heard it, but very few actually live like that’s true. In a culture that is constantly reminding us of all the toys that we don’t have, it’s hard to keep focused on what’s truly important.
Take a moment and think about what matters most to you.
What comes up for you? What do you really want? Love, health, happiness, friendship, inner peace, wisdom, freedom, security. The list goes on and on. But did you notice? Not one can be bought with the green stuff that we call money! So then why have we come to be so focused on it?
The prophet Isaiah reminds us about what really satisfies us. The things that can be bought are not what makes us full. As the prophet says, “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?”
Most of what we pay for is momentarily gratifying, but is not what will satisfy us in the long run. Big, fancy homes are nice, but they don’t make a happy family. Fast cars are fun, but they don’t create genuine respect. No, you can’t buy happiness or respect. They have to come from another source. And they just happen to be free.
Everything we truly care about can be ours if we earn them. But we can’t earn them at a 9–5 job. We only can earn them through 24/7 service to God. We earn them by learning and living His Word.
The Bible is God’s greatest gift to man. “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters . . . ” God’s Word is essential like water. It gives us the basic recipe for living a good life. “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” God’s Word is also luxurious like milk and wine. The Scriptures provide the tools for living an extraordinarily sweet and rich life. The Bible gives us everything we need and everything we want – and it is all at no cost.
Next time you find yourself thinking “if only I had more money . . . ” remember this truth: There are just some things that money can’t buy. Thankfully, those are the things that really count.
I needed to hear this about what money cannot buy and what matter the most ,right now i am out of work but i know Jesus Christ is going work it out for me, it easy for me to worry about how the bills is going to get pay and how I’m going to provides for my children.Like it said in Isaiah 55:1-2 and you who have no money come buy and eat ,God is showing me all I need is his favor, don’t worry about nothing take my eyes off my problem but keep my eyes,mind and heart on Jesus Christ and seek Ye first the kingdom and his righteous,and all these things will be given to you as well. Let’s us keep the faith.
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your morning devotional. I is usually spot on what I need to hear. THE LORD has so many ways of talking with us and your devotional each day is surely one of them. Thank you for your ministry. May God bless you and your ministry.
Dear Rabbi That Was Great!!! I Truly Loved It And Needed It!!! I Had To Learn The Hard Way About What I Truly Need In Life And What I Want Are Not The Same!!! And No Money Can Not Buy Happiness I Do Not Care What Any One Says!!! My Story Is A Little Like Job’s Only I Was Not A GODLY Man Before I Lost Everything!!! I Had Been Saved Many Years Ago And Became A Child Of The Most High G-D So G-D Would Not Give Up On Me And Wanted Me Back!!! So It Took Away Everything From My Life!!! Money-Job, My Health-Disablity, Even My Unsaved Wife And Step Childern, I Even Had To Moved To A New State To Try And Start Over!!! But Now I Am A Little Poor Like Some Of The Needy You Ask Money For!!! BUT I Am Back In The Arms Of My Loving FATHER G-D And I Have Never Been Happier!!! All My Needs Are Met And My Only Want Is To Become More Like My Saviour The LORD JESUS CHRIST Every Day By The Work Of The HOLY SPIRIT!!! I Am Sorry If I Offended You By Talking About JESUS But HE Is My KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS And With Out HIM I Am Nothing!!! Thank You And G-D Bless All Of You!!!
I have often wondered how to interpret the verse about buying wine and milk at no cost, and thanks to your comment Rabbi, I see how good and precious El’s Word really is. Yes, It is a luxury, like wine and milk! Todah.
Food for the soul. I Love Isaiah 55: 1-2, Such a great message !