Everyone Who Thirsts

The news coverage about James Arthur Ray has been difficult to avoid. James Arthur Ray is the New Age spiritual leader who once appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show. As it turns out, the term cult leader would fit better than the term spiritual leader. Last week 50 people entered a sweat lodge at a resort in Arizona. Two hours later three persons were dead and over a dozen were rushed to hospital. The attendees had paid $10,000 each in order to attend a five day “spiritual warrior” conference. It would appear that hallucinations caused by heat stroke were masqueraded as a spiritual experience on the “warrior” level. Those who died were only 38, 40 and 49 years of age. The extreme heat resulted in dehydration, kidney failure and multiple organ shut down. A homicide investigation is now underway.

There can be no doubt. We all, as God’s children, seek spiritual truths…so much so that a whole fledgling New Age industry thrives. Billions of dollars are spent on seeking out the spiritual in our lives. Books are written, documentaries are filmed, interviews are given and conferences are booked all in the name of seeking our spiritual origins. All are seeking out a god of some description in order to find peace and order in this chaotic world. Some are also willing to pay many dollars for the pleasure. The great irony, of course, is that the prophet Isaiah addressed this very issue about 2700 years ago. In Isaiah 55: 1-2 we read.

1 ¶ "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance.

The need to find our spiritual roots is termed by Isaiah as a thirst and indeed it is. Each and every one of us has this thirst and we have had it from childhood. The water, wine and milk represent the joy of knowing God the Father and having the Holy Spirit within us. The greatest revelation of all is that it is free. There is no monetary price involved. Indeed, Isaiah very appropriately, even for the modern reader, warns against giving our wages for what does not satisfy. Each and every one of us is invited to seek out the true God and revel in His abundance. (Isaiah 55: 6)

6 ¶ Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.

These words are often seen on signs posted along the highway by fervent believers. With so many thousands of people off searching in the wrong direction, they are even more urgently meaningful.

The Lord is very available. All we need to do is to acknowledge Him and call upon Him while he is near. There is no charge. There is no danger. There is only joyful reconciliation with the loving God of the universe.

(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)