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. Isaiah 55:1
“O swiftness of His mercy: O easiness of the Covenant: This blessing may be bought by you merely for willing it; He accepts the very desire as a great price; He thirsts to be thirsted for; He gives to drink to all who desire to drink; He takes it as a kindness to be asked for the kindness; He is ready and liberal; He gives with more pleasure than others receive. Only let us not be condemned for frivolity by asking for little, and for what is unworthy of the Giver.”
Gregory of Nazianzus (329-390) on Oration 40, preached on 6 January 381 in Constantinople.
I was exploring kindness in the sermons of Gregory of Nazianzus and found this gem that he preached to start the year. He reminded God’s people that God wants us to thirst after Him. He is ready to be generous toward us. He takes it as a kindness to be asked for the kindness.
So what should we do?
We need to live in the reality of this. I am going through stretching times and God is telling me to rely on Him for everything. He does not want me to act like I can sort things and frivolously ask for the little that I feel I can’t sort. So, I intend to ask bigger.
I am asking Him for the nations and for abundant provision to mobilize a team to serve the whole world. This request relates to my new role as President/CEO of Global Trust Partners. I am thankful that “he gives with more pleasure than others receive.”
Understanding this, hopefully, will position me to be a conduit of divine blessing to a world that has no money, and to a world that needs to know that from our generous God they can buy everything they need without cost. God, shower your kindness on us, please!