Come To Me

God knows you. All of you. Think about that for just a second. There is not a quirk about you that he doesn’t know. There’s not one moment of your past present, or ever your future, that he does not know. He knows everything about you. This is a terrifying thought for many reasons. All that you have hidden from those around you, are out in the open before God. No secrets. Nothing hidden. Before God we are all 100% exposed.

Deep down we all know this, yet we all work in vain day-to-day to cover ourselves up. We find people and things each day to affirm who we wish we were, while at the same time using these people and things to cover up our shame and guilt. We have taken very good things that God has given for our enjoyment, and we have made them gods to serve and affirm our lives. We simply cannot bear the thought that we are completely exposed before our Creator, so like our first parents, Adam and Eve, we cover with “fig” leaves, go to hiding from God, and then ultimately blaming him when we are found out. This is an exhausting, futile, never ending cycle. We work for salvation, yet the cycle continues. We work hard to make a way to bring relief in our lives, yet the cycle continues. Ultimately, we all realize there is no rest for us. No peace. No satisfaction. Some completely give up, yet others double down and work harder.

What’s crazy about all this craziness, is that the God who completely knows us is offering us rest, peace, satisfaction, and salvation. That makes no sense to us. Why would God, whom we have eternally offended, offer us all that we are longing for in life? This is not the question most ask, though. Most ask, “If God loved me then why would he allow ______ to happen to me?” The former question is from a perspective that sees God as ultimate, while the latter is from a perspective that places mankind as ultimate. When we are ultimate, we will be angry at God for not affirming our lifestyles. When we are ultimate, we will expect God to give us everything we want, and when he doesn't then obviously he does not love us.

The reality is that God is ultimate, and all that he does is for his glory and our good. We has rebelled against him. We have turned away from him. We wanted nothing to do with God. We have sought in vain to be our own saviors and gods, and we are left unfulfilled, restless, anxious, and hopeless. But God in his grace and love, has accomplished our full and final salvation in sending Jesus to die for our sins on the cross, so that in Christ we can have all that we have longed for both now and forever. God, who is holy and can have no sin in presence, has called us to come to him in Christ. He is the great pursuer! He had every right to cut us off forever, yet he came after us. Just listen to his offer from a few different Scriptures:

Isaiah 55:1-3

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. 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.

Matthew 11:28-30

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and earn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

John 5:39-40

39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and wit is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

John 6:35

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

John 7:37-38

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

Revelation 22:17

17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

In all these Scriptures, we are invited to come and be satisfied. We’re invited to come and find rest. We’re invited to come and have life, both now and forever. We’re invited to Christ, and in Him we have all we need for satisfaction and rest and life. We come by faith, and faith alone. He has done everything for us, and when we come to Christ we are radically changed. We no longer continue in our sin, which is pursuing other people and things to fulfill and save us. In Christ, we enjoy the gifts God has given us in a way that gives us more of him and not more of his things.

This is good news right now, not just for when we die. This invitation is a daily invitation to come to Christ and be satisfied. So if you are weary, heavy laden, unfulfilled, hopeless, thirsty, hungry, tired, dead, then come to Jesus and eat, drink, rest, and live daily and forever. May the living water of Christ not only fill you, but flow out of you that others may come to the all satisfying fount of Christ Jesus!